Make A Wish
by closeto30
Summary: When Stevie Donovan-Jinks makes an impossible wish on a Warehouse artifact on her 21st birthday, she and her best friend Miles Lattimer are confused when a ferret fails to appear, but shrug it off as a malfunction. What happens next brings Stevie face to face with people she thought she'd never meet, and the opportunity to build a relationship she thought was past saving.
1. Chapter 1

"Wake up."

Screwing up her face, Stevie opened her eyes ever so slightly and squinted blearily at the familiar face hovering above her own, and then craned her neck to take in the very early numbers on her digital alarm clock.

"Saturday no school," Stevie mumbled in one quick breath, pulling the bedclothes over her head, and then squealed as the sheets were promptly tugged away again.

"Miles!" she whined, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes with the heels of her hands. Her best friend since birth gave her a put-on look in reply.

"Number one, it's Friday, so normally, there would be school," Miles deadpanned. "But luckily for you, it's summer vacation. Unluckily for you, you told my incredibly overprotective mother that we would be back at the B&B at a very specific time, which means that you now have to wake up at this ungodly hour so that we can road trip across South Dakota."

Stevie moaned and flopped back down against her pillows.

"You, Ms Donovan-Jinks, are definitely not a morning person," Miles commented wryly. Stevie squinted at him darkly.

"Bring coffee, Lattimer," she demanded. Miles reached out and grabbed her hands, pulling her back into a sitting position.

"Take a shower, get dressed, and pack up the rest of your stuff," he instructed softly. "There will be a double-shot macchiato waiting for you when you're done."

"And pancakes?" Stevie asked hopefully, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes. Miles blew out a begrudging breath.

"We'll stop at Denny's on the way out of town," he murmured in defeat, leaning forward to kiss Stevie on the temple. "Now get moving."

Stevie pursed her lips together as she watched Miles exit her dorm room, and sniffed for a moment as she tried to wake up. She yawned as she gathered her things and then headed for the showers, which she found empty, though she knew that this wasn't just because of the early hour. Their junior year at the University of Minnesota had ended a few weeks ago, but Stevie and Miles had stayed on campus for a few more weeks to earn some extra credits towards their senior year classes. Stevie groaned inwardly to herself as she showered quickly, thinking of the long drive ahead. Univille, South Dakota, was just far enough away from Minneapolis to make the journey tedious, but given the remote location of the small town both Stevie and Miles had been born in, driving made far more sense than flying, and they'd definitely need the Chevy truck they shared once they got there. Stevie forewent washing her hair, instead standing in front of the row of blurry mirrors to pull her long straw-coloured hair into a low ponytail. Swiping moisturiser under her crystal blue eyes, Stevie hurried back to her room, where she found the last of her boxes gone and Miles perched on her bed, her promised macchiato in his hand. Stevie dropped her toiletries in the open backpack by the door and descended on the takeaway coffee, drinking like it was the elixir of life.

"You have a dependency issue," Miles commented, and Stevie narrowed her eyes at him over the lid of the cup.

"You either want me perky or you want me comatose," she quipped. "There is no middle ground at this hour."

Miles tried sneering at her, but he failed, a smirk spreading over his features instead. Stevie saw so much of her beloved Uncle Pete in that grin, and it made her smile as well. Sipping at her coffee, the tall blonde watched as her best friend made one last circle around the now empty dorm room, checking drawers for anything that may have been left behind, and then bent to pick up Stevie's open backpack. Zipping it closed, Miles glanced over his shoulder at his friend.

"Come on, if we have any chance of making it home before my mother sends out a search party, we have to leave now."

"Miles, Aunt Myka is not that bad," Stevie stated gently, patting her pockets to ensure her phone was in place before she shut the door behind her and followed Miles down the hall. Miles chuffed out a disbelieving laugh.

"Stevie, she has the Secret Service on speed dial!" he exclaimed. "Do I need to remind you of the high school junior year incident?"

"Ha, God no," Stevie winced, trooping down the last of the stairs and out of the front door of the dormitory. "Though you have to admit, that was a fun day."

"Right up until we ended up in the back of a police car," Miles said dryly, handing Stevie her backpack so that she could stash it under her feet on the passenger side of the truck. Stevie swung herself into the truck, still clinging to the last of her coffee.

"I need pancakes," she stated emphatically as Miles climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine.

"Are you sure you're not related to me by blood?" Miles asked as he put the truck into gear and they headed off down the street. "Because your need for food is so very similar to my father's."

"Uncle Pete taught me everything I know," Stevie grinned, peeling off the button down shirt she was wearing over her tank top and bunching it up so that she could put it under her head. "Wake me up when we get to Denny's, ok?"

"Yep, my dad definitely raised you," Miles quipped, sneering as he turned on the radio, and Stevie grinned before she curled up in the passenger seat and closed her eyes for the power nap she'd been planning from the moment she'd woken up.

* * *

Miles was gently snoring in the passenger seat when Stevie finally pulled the Chevy into the driveway of Leena's Bed & Breakfast, and even as Stevie shifted the truck into park and turned off the ignition, she took a moment to crane her neck and smile fondly at the old-fashioned building painted in shades of purple that constituted her home. Even though Miles and Stevie had spent the majority of their youth at a boarding school in Indiana, the B&B was where Stevie had some of her best memories. Stevie smiled to herself as she remembered watching football games on the couch with her Uncle Pete, and her Aunt Myka teaching her self-defence moves in the backyard, along with Miles's sisters, while Miles and Pete tossed a baseball around behind them. Unbuckling her seatbelt, Stevie lifted a hand and smacked Miles on the chest. Miles awoke with a start, glaring at her instantly.

"That was payback for this morning," Stevie grinned as Miles wiped at the line of drool on his chin. "We're home. And I would advise hurrying up before Aunt Myka tackles us right here on the front lawn."

"I wish that were a joke," Miles muttered, quickly undoing his own seatbelt and exiting the truck along with Stevie.

"She just really loves her baby boy," Stevie teased, hefting her duffel out of the tray of the truck and watching as Miles did the same.

"Myka Lattimer loves all of her children equally," Miles shot back as they fell into stride together on their way to the front door. "That includes you, Stevie Donovan-Jinks."

"And that rumour is about to be dispelled in approximately three seconds," Stevie quipped, putting her hand on the doorknob and pushing the front door open. "Hello?"

"There's my baby!"

Myka Lattimer's enthusiastic declaration was accompanied by the sound of her dashing from the living room into the front hallway, where she more or less shoved Stevie out of the way in her attempt to get to her son.

"Oof," Miles moaned, his voice muffled against his mother's shoulder. "Ma! Ma! Let go! I can't breathe."

Stevie sniggered as Myka finally unwrapped her arms from around Miles's neck. Myka was grinning from ear to ear as she pressed her hands to her son's face.

"Let me look at you," she murmured, studying Miles's features intently. "It's been too long."

The sound of Miles moaning in exasperation mingled with the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and Stevie couldn't stop the happy smile that formed on her face as Pete Lattimer descended the staircase.

"Ah, the prodigal son returns!" Pete announced dramatically, but he was grinning back at Stevie, who fell into his embrace as soon as he opened his arms.

"Hello, child who is not mine but may as well be," Pete greeted Stevie warmly, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Welcome home. Now, tell me things."

"They made me cheer captain," Stevie told him, blushing furiously at how proud Pete instantly looked.

"What'd I tell you, kid?" Pete grinned, giving her shoulders another squeeze. "You're a valuable asset to that team."

"They just want me to keep choreographing routines," Stevie murmured bashfully. Pete shook his head as he rolled his eyes in bemusement.

"Don't talk it down," he told her. "Be proud of your achievements." He glanced over to where Myka was still examining every inch of her son.

"Hey Mykes, did you see? Stevie's home!" he asked very loudly and very slowly. Myka turned her head just as slowly, and glared at her husband before she finally let go of Miles's hands and walked over to Stevie to embrace her in a tight hug.

"Hello, beautiful girl," Myka murmured, lifting her hand to brush a loose strand of Stevie's flaxen hair behind her ear. "I swear, you get more stunning every time I see you."

"I've been stuck in a truck with that loser for over 8 hours," Stevie quipped, nodding her head towards Miles, who gave her his ugliest face in reply. "I am fairly certain that I am anything but stunning right now."

"Yeah, and you smell like a wet dog," Miles joked, earning a playful smack on the shoulder from his father. Grinning, he barely broke stride before he asked his next question.

"Where's the rest of the welcome party? I was expecting a louder reception than this."

"Zoe decided she'd like to celebrate her high school graduation by spending more time in Europe with your Aunt Helena," Myka stated, huffing out a frustrated breath. "As if she's not going to spend enough time exploring Paris when she goes to the Sorbonne next year."

"She'll be home in time for the 4th of July party," Pete reassured his wife. Myka rolled her eyes.

"Shiloh and Bridget still have a few days of school left," she continued, rattling off the last of Miles's sister's names. "They'll be home next week."

Stevie flicked her eyes up at the staircase, which remained empty.

"Where's my mom?" she asked tentatively, and watched as Pete and Myka winced as one.

"Sweetie, I know she said she'd be here," Myka said soothingly. "She probably just lost track of time..."

"She's at the Warehouse," Stevie said flatly. "Of course."

"Stevie..." Pete started, but Stevie was already pulling the keys to the truck out of her pocket.

"I'll go and get her," she murmured, making to move towards the door. Pete put a gentle hand on her arm, and Stevie bit her lip as she glanced up at him.

"Let me make you some sandwiches first," Myka said gently, looping her arm around Miles's. "I'm sure you're both starving, and if I don't send something for your mom, she'll never eat at all."

Before Stevie could protest, Myka began steering her son towards the kitchen, already declaring how happy she was to have him home. Pete tucked an arm around Stevie's shoulders so that they could follow after Myka and Miles. Stevie huffed out a sigh.

"Don't take it personally, kid," he whispered, resting his chin on her head for a moment. "You know this is how your mom has always been."

Stevie hummed in reply, and plastered a smile on her face as Myka started asking for sandwich preferences, but any appetite she might have had was long gone, replaced by the tight ball of sadness and disappointment that often accompanied any thought she had of the woman she called Mom.


	2. Chapter 2

When they were kids, the drive out to the Warehouse had been an exhilarating, bumpy road of twists and turns, but thanks to continuous traffic over the years, the terrain had flattened out to some semblance of unsealed road. While it made the journey more comfortable, Stevie sometimes missed the wild rides in the backseat of Pete's SUV, with her and Miles squealing in delight as Pete deliberately drove over potholes and small rocks so that the whole car shook. Pete had always gotten into trouble from Myka for driving like that, but Miles and Stevie had loved every second of it. The drive was always just the beginning of the adventure, with Warehouse 13 being the alluring end prize. Even as she drove towards the building carved into the side of the looming mountain range, Stevie took the time to size up the seemingly innocent structure. She'd always had somewhat of a love/hate relationship with the Warehouse. On one hand, the facility was a veritable cavern of endless wonder; forbidden treasure, historical lessons and fascinating discoveries waited at every turn, and despite having run countless laps of the artifact stacks, Stevie was yet to find a wall. The Warehouse wasn't just a building; it had an organic element to it, and Stevie knew that the Warehouse had always looked after her in ways that it didn't always do with other people. Over the years, with Miles as her ever-present sidekick, Stevie had continually pushed the boundaries on the rules that had been laid out for their presence in the Warehouse, and the worst injury she'd ever walked away with was a few bruises and slightly singed eyebrows. For this, Stevie really was grateful. Sighing to herself, Stevie swung her satchel, packed full of sandwiches and other snack foods forced upon her by Myka, over her shoulder and slammed the door of the Chevy shut before making her way towards the Warehouse entrance. She clicked a button on her keychain a few paces out, and the rusty-looking door that led to the Warehouse office swung open. Hurrying through the bomb-dotted umbilicus, Stevie pushed open the door to the office, where she was instantly bombarded by blaring rap music that was older than she was.

"Oh my dear God, Wade, your taste in music blows!" Stevie shouted, lunging for the wireless speakers positioned near the door so that she could turn the music down. At the lowering of the volume, Wade Thompson, the resident Warehouse IT consultant, quickly rotated his chair around so to face her, his annoyed expression dissolving into joy as he laid eyes on the young woman.

"Stevie Faith!" the computer tech declared delightedly, putting his hands to the wheels of his chair so that he could roll forward to greet the tall blonde properly. Stevie leaned down to give the dark-skinned man a quick hug. Wade had started at the Warehouse as a very young agent when Stevie had still been in her teens, but a horrific car accident while on an artifact snag a few years into his assignment had left Wade paralysed from the waist down. Despite his injury, Wade had begged and pleaded to remain on the Warehouse team, and his computer expertise had never been in doubt, so some adjustments had been made to the office, and Wade had become the dedicated computer technician for Warehouse 13. Having someone permanently at a computer while other agents were on missions had proven to be a fruitful exercise, and despite his injuries Wade seemed happy enough with his allocated position. Like most of the other Warehouse agents, he was also extremely fond of Stevie and her pseudo-siblings.

"No wonder you never answer your Farnsworth," Stevie said, nodding towards the speakers. Wade grinned as he shook his head ruefully.

"There's always a way to reach me," he replied, tapping at the earpiece hooked to his left ear. Stevie smiled and dodged around Wade so that she could make her way to the bank of computer screens set up on the desks of the office. Images flickered past and a rolling tickertape of news scrolled across one screen, but nothing special caught Stevie's attention. The creaking of a wheelchair indicated that Wade had rolled himself up behind her.

"Do you know where my mom is, by any chance?" Stevie asked, attempting a nonchalant tone. Wade manoeuvred around her to tap on a blinking spot on a monitor.

"Lincoln-84," he reported, and Stevie huffed out a despondent breath.

"Of course she'd be as far away as possible," she muttered. Wade stretched towards his Farnsworth.

"You want, I can call her," he offered, but Stevie put out her own hand to still his, shaking her head.

"I'll go get her," she stated firmly, digging around in her satchel and pulling out a Ziploc bag of oatmeal scotchies.

"Ok if I take the zipline?" Stevie asked, placing the cookies on the desk.

"You know, I think you're the only one who actually enjoys using that thing," Wade grinned, already reaching for the bag of cookies. "Our resident daredevil."

Already halfway out of the office, Stevie giggled despite herself, and she offered Wade a small wave before swinging around the doorway and making her way towards the zipline harness. Wade was most likely right in the fact that most Warehouse agents avoided using the zipline; the ride was fun but the harness was restrictive and getting out of it at the other end took skill, especially when the rider was alone, but Stevie had perfected the manoeuvre over the years. Strapping herself in and slinging her satchel back over her shoulder, Stevie took a running start and let out a small yip of joy as she took off high above the Warehouse floor. As she whizzed past the stacks, Stevie caught glimpses of objects, some old, some new, but all with their own story to be told. She could live a million lifetimes and still not know it all, and yet her mother seemed to know the specific location of each item in the Warehouse, and could instinctively tell when a new artifact was coming into play. Stevie knew this was the life of a Caretaker, and that it was as much a burden as it was a gift. And as for the Warehouse's impact on her mother... Stevie shook herself out of her daydream as the end of the zipline loomed. Hitting the brakes with practiced ease, Stevie finished her ride and rid herself of the harness, sending it back to the starting area with the press of a button. Flicking her ponytail back over her shoulder, Stevie started off through the stacks, taking a couple of corners before she found the Lincolns and located her mother, whom it seemed was lost in the task of rotating certain artifacts. Leaning against one of the stack posts, Stevie took a moment to study the woman in front of her. Claudia Donovan had become the Caretaker of Warehouse 13 over ten years before, and had subsequently stopped ageing in her early 30s, despite now being well into her 40s. She kept her hair coloured a dark russet red, and when worn down it fell well past her shoulders, though it was most often found in a messy twist pinned to the back of her head. Her clothes gave off an air of sophisticated youth; stylish boots and tight jeans paired with tailored vests worn over cotton tees of varying colours. It was really only her eyes that gave away her age. Coffee-coloured and sometimes cartoonishly large, one look into Claudia's eyes revealed an infinite sadness that threatened to overwhelm anyone who spoke to her for too long. Despite spending what seemed like too much of her childhood trying to break through that sadness, Stevie still clung on to the tiniest thread of hope that one day, she'd connect with her mother. Sighing under her breath, Stevie straightened up and cleared her throat to announce her arrival. Claudia whipped around, a startled expression on her face.

"Hey, Mom," Stevie offered softly, dragging a sneakered toe along the ground awkwardly.

"Hey, kid!" Claudia exclaimed, a smile appearing on her face. Stevie could sense the forced enthusiasm even from where she stood. Claudia hurried down the aisle, and then stood on her toes to give Stevie a hesitant hug.

"How long have you been here for?" Claudia asked, tucking a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear.

"In the Warehouse, or in Univille?" Stevie replied, pursing her lips despite herself. Claudia blinked at her daughter for a moment, and then her face slackened as she glanced at the chunky leather-strapped watch on her wrist.

"Oh, frack, is that the time?" she whispered, more to herself than to Stevie. "Kid, I'm sorry, I know I promised I'd be there. I just..."

"Got caught up, with the Warehouse," Stevie finished for her. It was a well-practised script. Claudia looked uneasy, reaching up to fiddle with the chunky pendant around her neck. Stevie bit her lip.

"I came out here to pick you up," she said flatly. "Aunt Myka said she hasn't seen you in a couple of days."

Claudia cast a look over her shoulder at the stacks she'd been rearranging and then glanced back at her daughter.

"I'm only part way done with this aisle," she murmured, anxiety lingering on the edge of her tone. "Do you think that...?"

"I can wait," Stevie cut her off quickly. "Wade looked like he had some files that needed sorting, back in the office."

Relief spread over Claudia's features.

"You're a good kid," she said softly, and Stevie gave her a half-hearted smile as she opened her satchel and retrieved a wrapped sandwich and a bottle of water.

"Crustless PB&J," she stated, holding the food out for her mother. "You need to eat."

Claudia hesitantly took what was offered to her, tapping a fingernail against the cap of the bottle.

"Your Aunt Myka seems to forget that I'm not one of her children," she commented lightly.

"You seem to forget that I'm not one of her children," Stevie mumbled under her breath before she could stop herself. Either she spoke quietly enough that Claudia didn't hear her, or Claudia chose not to react, because her facial expression didn't change. Stevie zipped up her satchel and cleared her throat again.

"Another hour?" she offered. "And then we can go back to the B&B?"

Claudia nodded, already turning back towards the shelves she'd been working on. Stevie blew out a breath and quickly rounded the corner before she said anything else she might later regret. This was the hate part of her relationship with the Warehouse. Even before she had become Caretaker, after Steve died Claudia had buried herself in the depths of the Warehouse, getting lost for immeasurable lengths of time and leaving everyone who loved her far behind. As a child, Stevie would wake from nightmares screaming for her mother, only to be rocked back to sleep while sobbing against Pete or Myka's chests. She persistently fought for Claudia's attention, hiding stones and feathers and other objects her childish mind thought were pretty for Claudia to find in her room, and leaving crayoned pictures she'd drawn lying around the B&B, but it always came to nothing. Despite the fact that all of the adults in her life; Myka, Pete, her Grandpa Artie; had told her that it wasn't her fault, even as a grown woman Stevie still struggled with the fact that Claudia didn't seem to have the remotest interest in her own daughter. Claudia had lost the will to love anyone or anything on the day that Steve Jinks had died in her arms, and it seemed that even the unbiased love of her own child wasn't enough to draw her out of the misery that engulfed her heart.


	3. Chapter 3

The year that Stevie had turned sixteen, she'd commandeered the attic of the B&B and turned it into her private bedroom space, after it had become increasingly apparent that Bridget and Shiloh could not continue to share a bedroom without killing each other. Pete and Myka had been so grateful for the gesture that they'd paid for a small bathroom to be installed, but Stevie had been genuinely happy to make the move. The extra flight of stairs gave her some much desired privacy, and it made it much harder for people to sneak up on her. Even five years later, Miles still hadn't figured out where the creaky floorboards were, and Stevie was already glancing towards the top of the staircase by the time he appeared.

"Want to go for a run?" Miles asked by way of greeting. He was dressed in basketball shorts and a muscle shirt, indicating that he was ready to go if Stevie agreed. Seated on the floor at the foot of her bed, surrounded by papers and photographs, Stevie blinked at her friend for a moment and then silently shook her head. She'd been out of sorts for days, a by-product of all attempted and aborted interaction with Claudia since they'd returned from college. The disappointment she felt was one of the reasons Stevie rarely returned to the B&B anymore; like most people, she preferred happiness over melancholy, and once the sadness set in she found it hard to fight. Picking up a photograph, Stevie held the image next to her face.

"Do you think I'm like him?" Stevie asked Miles, flicking her eyes towards the photo of Steve Jinks that she held. Miles took the question as an invitation to enter the room fully, and he cleared a space beside his friend so that he could sit beside her. He reached for the photograph Stevie had held up.

"You're practically twins," he grinned in amusement. "Same eye colour, same ears, same smile." Miles paused to pick up a picture of Steve and Claudia together. Claudia was laughing hysterically at the camera. Stevie wasn't sure that she'd ever physically seen a smile like that on her mother's face.

"You got Claudia's nose though," Miles commented. "And, I dunno, the shape of her eyes?"

"Hopefully that's all I got," Stevie mumbled, snatching the photograph out of Miles's hand. Miles studied her for a moment, pale green eyes crinkling at the edges. Miles resembled his father in the majority of his features, but his eyes were inherited directly from Myka. Stevie smiled despite herself at Miles's intense gaze. She loved how protective Miles was of her, and of all of his sisters. He was the perfect big brother in so many ways, and she wasn't sure if she knew what she'd do without him.

"Good Lord, you're ugly," Miles murmured teasingly, effectively spoiling the moment, and Stevie let out a genuine laugh even as she swatted him lightly on the chest.

"You're lying," Stevie giggled, and Miles chuckled as he nudged her with his shoulder.

"At least we know who you inherited the human lie detector from," he commented, and Stevie bit down on her lower lip as her giggles faded away. Her ability to catch someone out in a lie had been revealed early in her life, when at age three she'd flat out told Pete that he was lying about Santa Claus. Being so young, it had taken Stevie several years to fully understand the need to bite her tongue so not to put people off side, and she'd wished desperately that her father had been alive to teach her how to deal with her unusual ability. Of course, most of the time, she simply wished that Steve was alive at all. With Claudia so closed off, Myka and Pete had found it difficult to determine how much of Steve's death they were supposed to share with Stevie, so over the years it had been up to Stevie to piece together the story any way she saw possible. Eventually she'd learned that Steve had died a hero, diving in front of Myka, who was pregnant with Miles at the time, to save her from a stray bullet fired by a young woman under the influence of an artifact. The bullet had caused a fatal wound, and the only comfort anyone took from Steve's death was that Claudia had been there to get the chance to hold him, and tell him how much she loved him, before he took his last breath. Three facts made Steve's death even more tragic than it already was, the first being that his older sister Olivia had inconceivably died in a very similar way years before. The second was that Steve had already been dead once only a few years earlier, revived by an artifact and Claudia's refusal to give up on him, but that artifact had been destroyed out of necessity and was no longer in use. The third fact was the one that Stevie had found the most hard to stomach. In a cruel twist of fate, Claudia had not learned that she was pregnant until she had collapsed at Steve's funeral, which meant that Steve had died not knowing that he was to be a father. As it was, Claudia had some explaining to do in regards to her pregnancy, given that Steve's sexual orientation had never been a secret. Stevie was the product of a drunken one night stand between the best man and the maid of honour at Myka and Pete's wedding, though to Stevie, it was quite easy to glean from photographs, journals and other documented reports that Claudia had always loved Steve as more than a friend.

"I've always liked how Claudia chose your middle name," Miles commented softly, snapping Stevie out of her daydream. She glanced over at him to find him holding a worn notebook page covered in scribbles. More than once, in scrawled looping letters that were indicative of her father's handwriting, the words 'Keep the faith' could be found on the page. The phrase had so much meaning to Claudia that it was tattooed in tiny letters on her inner wrist, though it was clear to Stevie that she had given up following the advice some time ago. Stevie picked up another photograph off the floor and let out a shaky breath. Just a tiny child only a few hours old, Stevie Faith Donovan-Jinks was nestled in the crook of her mother's arm. Stevie had been born on Independence Day, in the hallway of the B&B, after Claudia had either refused to acknowledge or at least tell anyone that she was in labour until it was too late. Even with her brand new baby in her arms, the look in Claudia's eyes was despondent.

"I don't even know why she kept me," Stevie murmured, dropping the photograph into the box by her side.

"Well, I for one am very glad that she did," Miles told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her temple. "My life would be very boring without you, my partner in crime."

"I honestly don't even know which one of us is the bad influence anymore," Stevie rasped, blinking back the tears that had welled in her eyes. Miles laughed as he helped her load all of the papers spread on the floor back into the box that Stevie immediately pushed back under her bed, and then used a thumb to catch the lone tear that had escaped onto Stevie's cheek.

"You know, despite everything, we all believe that Claudia loves you as much as the rest of us do," Miles said gently, and Stevie scoffed as she moved away from him and got to her feet.

"You're not even lying, and I still don't believe you," she commented, avoiding Miles's eyes. She glanced at the clock beside her bed.

"Do you want to ask Uncle Pete if he wants to throw the football around?" she asked, hoping that Miles could see how keen she was to close the subject. Miles gave her one last sidelong glance before his face relaxed.

"I doubt you'll have much trouble persuading him, golden girl," he quipped. "Explain to me exactly how you became my father's favourite child?"

Stevie grinned as she held out her hands to help Miles to his feet.

"When we were five, I sat and watched a whole football game with him, and actually paid attention," she said with a teasing smile. "Uncle Pete has two weaknesses in life; Aunt Myka, and the Cleveland Browns."

"And with that, you won my father over," Miles chuckled, already heading for the stairs. "Where was I that day?"

"Probably helping Myka with Zoe," Stevie countered, grabbing a pair of shoes before following after him. "You and I picked our paths in life very early on. Though with as many sisters as you have, it's little wonder you decided you wanted to be a midwife."

"It was either love babies or hate them," Miles commented, rolling his eyes as they traipsed down the hallway. Stevie smiled even as she linked her arm with Miles's.

"You're going to be great at it," she reassured him gently. "We're all so proud."

Miles stopped at the top of the hallway stairs, tilting his head to the side as he glanced around cautiously.

"Do you ever think that we've disappointed them?" he asked softly, nodding his head towards the bedroom his parents shared. "You know, because we chose something other than the Warehouse?"

Stevie blinked at him for a moment, and then let out a laugh.

"You're not serious?" she chuckled. "All they've ever wanted for us is to be happy in ourselves. In any case, they'll get Zoe as an agent. There's no second guesses about that. Maybe even Shiloh too, once she grows up a little."

Miles looked sheepish, and Stevie gave him a soft punch to the arm.

"Besides, I think you and I both know that we'll never truly leave the Warehouse, right?" she murmured gently. "It's a part of us, as much as we're a part of it."

Fighting back a smile, Miles suddenly leaned forward and enveloped Stevie in a hug. She squeaked in surprise even as he let go.

"What was that for?"

"Whenever we come back here, I watch you forget how special you are," Miles said softly. "You're part of something so incredible, Stevie. Promise me you'll never forget that."

Stevie smiled unsurely, feeling a blush form in her cheeks. Butterflies formed in her stomach as Miles cupped her face in his hand.

"You are so loved, Stevie Donovan-Jinks," he murmured, stroking her cheek with his thumb. As he stared her down, Stevie let out a shaky breath, swallowing hard as she felt her heartbeat quicken.

"Miles," she whispered, and then jumped backwards at the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

"Hey, there you guys are!" Pete declared enthusiastically, pausing halfway up the staircase. "I was just about..." He trailed off as he took in the way Stevie and Miles were standing, both of them awkwardly trying to look casual.

"Am I interrupting something?" Pete asked slowly, glancing between the pair. Miles was still staring at her, but Stevie plastered a smile on her face as she shook her head fervently.

"Not at all!" she exclaimed, stepping towards her uncle. "We were coming to look for you. Are you up for some backyard football before dinner?"

Pete's face lit up.

"I love when you guys come home!" he grinned, holding his hand out to bring Stevie to his level. "No one ever wants to play with me when you're gone."

Stevie giggled, but she glanced up at Miles, whose face had settled into an expression of slight frustration.

"Let's go, let's go!" Pete hustled, nodding towards his son before pulling Stevie down the stairs. Stevie felt a small pang in her gut as she met Miles's eyes again briefly. The feeling was familiar; they'd been in similar situations before, and it always left her feeling sick in both her stomach and her heart.

"Come on, Miles," Stevie urged, raising her eyebrows at him in a way that she hoped conveyed that she'd really like for the moment to be forgotten. Miles clenched his teeth, but he started after them, and Stevie gave a soft sigh of what she could only describe as relief before she turned her attention back to her over-excited uncle.


	4. Chapter 4

Stevie stood in the doorway of the kitchen a few days later, just out of sight of her aunt, and watched Myka try and engage in conversation with Claudia, who was seated at the breakfast table. The Caretaker was absently flicking through what looked to be an instruction manual, and while she was attempting to look interested in what Myka was saying, it was clear to Stevie that Claudia was not prepared to hold a conversation, particularly given Myka's chosen topic.

"So, because it's Stevie's 21st birthday, I thought maybe we could make the 4th of July barbeque more of a party for her this year," Myka offered up cautiously. "Helena will be here, and my sister and her kids, and you of course..."

"Of course," Claudia parroted back monotonously, turning a page of the manual in front of her. Stevie bit back a scoff. In all the years that the Lattimers had thrown their Independence Day party, Stevie could count on one hand the amount of times Claudia had actually been in attendance.

"I want to make her a cake," Myka tried again, leaning on the countertop. "I can't remember her favourite kind though. Do you remember if it's angel food cake, or red velvet?"

Now Claudia looked genuinely startled, and Stevie felt her throat constrict. It was such a simple question that any mother would usually know the answer to, but some days Stevie doubted if Claudia even knew if her daughter was left or right-handed, let alone her favourite things.

"I... I'm sure she'll like whatever you make," Claudia stammered weakly. Stevie couldn't handle much more of the conversation and the direction it was taking, so she plastered on a smile and stepped lightly into the kitchen space.

"Did someone say cake?" she asked brightly, sliding up onto a kitchen stool and effectively inserting herself between Myka and Claudia. Myka smiled crookedly.

"For your birthday, beautiful girl," she said gently, tapping her fingers against a recipe book on the bench. "I'm taking orders."

"I love red velvet cake," Stevie enthused, swivelling slightly on the stool to see if Claudia was listening. The redhead's eyes were back on the book in front of her, though when the stool squeaked she looked up and offered Stevie a courteous half-smile. Stevie had to fight not to roll her eyes.

"Please don't make a fuss just for me though, Aunt Myka," Stevie continued, turning back towards her beloved aunt. "It's just another birthday. You didn't do anything special for Miles."

"That's because he wouldn't come home!" Myka pouted. "It was my first baby's big birthday, and he missed it."

"You know he had an exam to sit," Stevie spoke in Miles's defence, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"So he said," Myka muttered, retrieving a mug from the cupboard behind her and pouring Stevie a cup of coffee. Stevie chuckled softly as she accepted the mug from her aunt. Miles had legitimately had an exam, but the moment it had ended, Stevie and an expansive group of their college friends had kidnapped him and lead a rowdy bar-hopping expedition through Minneapolis which Stevie knew Miles still struggled to recall all of the details of. The pictures they'd forwarded of Miles and Stevie sharing a cupcake very early in the evening were all that Myka knew of that venture.

"Honestly, I'll just be happy with the usual party," Stevie told Myka, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm just looking forward to sharing my first drink with you all."

Myka gave Stevie a put-on look.

"Stevie Faith, I went to college," she said matter-of-factly. "If you think that I'm going to believe for a moment that the head cheerleader hasn't drunkenly danced on a table at a frat party, you're sadly mistaken."

Stevie threw her head back as she burst into laughter, and Myka scrunched up her face and threw a dish towel in Stevie's direction. Swinging around on the stool again, Stevie found Claudia staring at her curiously, and her giggles petered out.

"Head cheerleader?" Claudia asked softly, and Stevie pursed her lips. She could feel Myka watching them.

"Uh huh," Stevie spoke shortly, immediately hating herself for being unable to stop the challenging tone in her voice. Claudia opened her mouth as if she was about to say more, but she was cut off by the sound of the front door opening, and a cacophony of teenage voices filling the B&B.

"My girls!" Myka exclaimed happily, just as Shiloh and Bridget appeared in the kitchen doorway. At fifteen and fourteen respectively, the youngest Lattimer girls were as different in looks as they were in personality. Shiloh was inexplicably blonde, though she had her mother's curls and celery green eyes, and what she lacked in height she made up for in bundles of enthusiastic spirit. Bridget meanwhile had inherited all of Pete's colouring, towered above both of her older sisters, and preferred the company of animals over people, though as the baby of the family she was particularly fond of her older brother.

"Hey, Bee," Myka said warmly, holding out her arms so that her youngest daughter could move in for a hug. Stevie meanwhile was caught off-guard when Shiloh, her ringlet pigtails bouncing, threw herself towards her.

"Stevie!" Shiloh shrieked, wrapping her arms around the older girl's neck before pulling away. "I made the junior varsity squad!"

"You're a cheerleader?" Stevie asked, unable to resist smiling as the tiny blonde nodded enthusiastically. "Shy, that's awesome!"

"The coaches said that I can't be varsity until I can land a double back-flip," Shiloh explained breathlessly. "I told them that you're my sister, and that you'll help me." She paused to assess Stevie cautiously.

"You will help me, right?"

"Like you even have to ask," Stevie grinned, and then grunted as Shiloh enveloped her in a tight embrace again.

"I'm gonna go unpack," Shiloh announced, practically bouncing out of the kitchen. She nearly collided with Pete, who was lounging against the doorjamb, on her way out.

"I had to listen to that the whole way from the airport," Pete commented wryly, and Stevie gave him an amused grin even as she turned to face Myka and Bridget, who were holding a hushed conversation.

"But everyone else has one," Bridget whined softly, trying hard not to flinch when Myka reached out to smooth down her daughter's hair.

"Bee, baby, we talked about this," Myka spoke as gently as possible. "We can't have a dog. The way our lives are, it just wouldn't be fair, to the animal. You know that."

"Grandpa Artie had Trailer," Bridget tried, but Stevie could tell that the teen already knew her battle was lost.

"Trailer was an exceptional dog," Myka stated firmly. "I'm sorry, baby. Maybe when you finish school we can think about it."

Bridget huffed out an extremely loud sigh and slumped her shoulders as she turned and slouched her way out of the kitchen. Myka pressed herself to Pete's side as he came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Every single time," Myka murmured, sighing tiredly even as Pete pressed a kiss to her temple. "She's relentless."

"Stubbornness is a Bering family trait," Pete commented, and Myka rolled her eyes but didn't bite. Instead, she smiled happily at Stevie, who raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What's that look for?" the blonde asked.

"Shiloh calling you her sister," Myka grinned, wrinkling her nose. "I love it when the girls do that."

"So do I," Stevie admitted, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "I don't think any of them realise how much it means to me. I feel like one of the family."

"Stevie, we're all family here," Myka exclaimed, reaching across the counter to put her hand on Stevie's wrist, and then she craned her neck to the side. "All of... oh."

Stevie turned her head, and immediately felt her whole body tighten up. In the midst of all the chaos caused by the Lattimer girls, Claudia had packed up and left without a word.

"Stevie," Pete spoke her name in a soothing tone, like she needed to be calmed. Stevie raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's fine," she said firmly. "I'm fine. This isn't my first ticket to the Claudia Donovan show. I'm pretty used to the disappearing act."

Myka looked pained, so Stevie plastered a smile on her face as she slid off of her stool.

"You guys, your kids are home," she enthused. "Today is a good day. Nothing changes that."

"Stevie, if you ever want..." Myka started, but Stevie cut her off with a sharp shake of her head.

"I'm gonna go see if I can get Bee to form a complete sentence," she quipped, causing both her aunt and her uncle to chuckle softly. Stevie winked at them as she flounced out of the kitchen, making sure that she was well out of sight before she let the disappointment she felt creep across her face. Every time Stevie felt like there might have been a breakthrough with Claudia, her mother retreated just as quickly, and Stevie wasn't sure how much of it she could take before she finally gave up for good.

* * *

Doctor Claire Godfrey had taken over as the official Warehouse medic when Vanessa Calder had chosen to retire alongside Artie, right before Stevie and Miles had started high school. In her forties and never married, Claire doted on the children of the Warehouse, though she held a particular affection for Miles, who had followed her around from the moment she'd started working at the Warehouse, asking medical-related questions whenever he had the opportunity. When she wasn't needed at the Warehouse, Claire was on-call at the hospital located in Featherstone, and during summer vacations, Claire tried as often as possible to arrange for Miles to work at the hospital in some capacity. When she'd called to inform Miles that an orderly position had become vacant for a few weeks, Miles had hesitated, knowing that this was likely his last summer back at the B&B, but his family had all urged him to take advantage of every opportunity. Stevie had perhaps been the most vocal in her encouragement; things between her and Miles had been slightly awkward since their moment on the stairs, and she hoped that a little time apart would bring them back to normal. She had unfortunately failed to take into consideration what Miles's absence from the B&B meant for her on a transportation level. Miles of course needed the Chevy, but it left Stevie without a car. Pete had offered his SUV, but Stevie hated the idea of leaving the Lattimers without transport should an emergency arise. Ultimately this meant that Stevie was limited to taking rides to the Warehouse, where she traded the occasional awkward moment with Claudia, or she was left stranded at the B&B. Trying to see the bright side, Stevie tried her best to fill her days, by practicing with Shiloh as promised, baking treats for her uncle, and catching up on movies and TV that she'd missed throughout the school year. She then switched to spending time at the Warehouse, but after two full days of filing reports, she was ready to pull her hair out from the boredom of it all, so when a ping came through on the back of a report of snow falling in New Mexico in the middle of summer, Stevie put on her best begging face and got ready to bargain with her aunt.

"Please let me go!" she pleaded to Myka, who was already sorting documents into folders to distribute to her agents. "Clark and Rogers have taken me on snag and bags before. I won't get in the way. I just..." she trailed off as she realised that Myka was smirking at her.

"You were already going to let me go, weren't you?" Stevie asked, a blush colouring her cheeks as Myka let out a short laugh.

"Yes, but I enjoy seeing you beg," she grinned teasingly. "Clark actually asked yesterday when they were going to take you out again. I think they like having you as a ride-along."

Stevie bared her teeth at Myka and then swung around in her chair as the door to the umbilicus opened, revealing Gina Clark and Danny Rogers, Myka's first string agents. With the B&B full of Lattimers, the Warehouse agents shared a series of condos on the edge of Univille, close enough to Warehouse 13 that they could be summoned as soon as a ping was received. Gina winked at Stevie even as Danny reached for Myka's offered case file.

"Coming for a ride, chica?" she trilled flirtatiously, and Stevie couldn't help but smile at her infectious enthusiasm. Half-Latina with a temper to match, Gina had been Wade's partner before his accident, and Stevie suspected that even though Gina hadn't been involved in the crash, that she still held herself accountable for what had happened. Even though Danny, who was tall and athletic, was several years older than the fiery brunette, Gina was fiercely protective of him, and anyone else that she went out on the field with for that matter. It was for this reason that Myka was more likely to agree to Stevie tagging along on snag and bags. Stevie had yet to convince Myka to let her go out on a case with the B-team agents. Miles had ridden along with Montgomery and Stone once when he was nineteen, and had ended up in hospital with a concussion and two broken fingers, and Myka had never truly gotten over it.

"She doesn't get out of the car, understand me?" Myka said to Danny, her finger pointed directly at Stevie, who was already on her feet and working Gina's hair into a loose French braid. "She is only with you to observe. No interaction with suspects, and absolutely no touching the artifact, understand?"

"Myka, I think you forget who you're talking to," Gina countered playfully. "Have I ever broken one of your children?"

Myka pursed her lips for a moment before she exhaled loudly through her nose.

"No," she finally conceded with a sigh. "But if it even looks like, for one second..."

"You know, I'm standing right here," Stevie said loudly. No one looked in her direction.

"We both know better than to put her in harm's way," Danny commented. "The Warehouse would never forgive us. Claudia would never forgive us."

"Claudia would have to know I was gone in the first place," Stevie grunted, reaching for the Farnsworth that was resting on the charging bay.

"Oh honey, believe me, Claudia knows where you are at all times," Gina said flatly. "She is all seeing, and all knowing. It's kinda scary, to be honest."

"Yeah, ok, whatever," Stevie huffed dismissively. "Are we going, or what?"

Danny was already halfway to the door, and Gina took the Farnsworth from Stevie's hands before following after him. Stevie slung her satchel over her shoulder and was heading after the agents when Myka grabbed hold of her wrist and swung her back around to face her. Stevie didn't speak, just raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Be careful," Myka murmured, a hint of warning in her tone. "Believe what you want, Stevie, but your mother will kill me if something ever happens to you."

Stevie blinked at her aunt for a moment, and then let her face soften as she leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek.

"Thanks for always looking out for me," Stevie murmured. Myka smiled softly

"Have fun, Stevie Faith," she whispered, nodding towards the door. Stevie couldn't help but smile as she scurried away. It may not have been in her plans to become a Warehouse agent, but there was no denying the rush she got from even the slightest involvement in the world of endless wonder. Some kids spent their summers by the pool, or working odd jobs to make a dime. Stevie Donovan-Jinks got to save the world, and she wouldn't have it any other way.


	5. Chapter 5

A few nights before her birthday, Pete found Stevie sitting in near darkness in Miles's bedroom, the only light coming from the computer screen in front of her. She was dressed in yoga pants and one of Miles's old high school gym shirts, and was sitting cross-legged on a desk chair as she periodically tapped a finger against the spacebar of the keyboard. The illumination from the computer screen reflected off of the reading glasses perched on her nose. Stevie rarely let anyone see her in glasses, but it was late, and she was tired, and if she was honest a part of her hadn't really expected anyone to come looking for her. When Pete cleared his throat, Stevie turned slowly in her seat, lifting a hand to smooth a strand of loose hair back into the rough bun she'd pulled her hair into.

"You're missing the fun downstairs," Pete quipped, nodding his head towards the staircase to acknowledge the laughter and happy chatter that was echoing up from the kitchen. Helena and Zoe had arrived from Paris a few hours earlier, much to Myka's delight, and the pleasant hum of a reunited family had filled the B&B ever since. Even Bridget had emerged from her room to join in the conversation.

"It was getting a little crowded down there," Stevie murmured back, smiling half-heartedly even as a peal of laughter bounced up the staircase. "I just wanted to give everyone the chance to catch up."

Pete stepped into the bedroom and settled himself on the end of Miles's bed, cocking his head slightly as he studied Stevie's face.

"What's up, Stevie girl?" he asked gently. "We got a party going on downstairs, and you're hiding in a bedroom that isn't even yours. It's not like you."

Stevie pushed her glasses back up her nose and sighed under her breath. She pouted as she thought about the best way to tell her uncle how she was feeling.

"Honestly, watching you whenever Helena visits makes my stomach feel kind of squishy," she confessed reluctantly, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. Pete blinked at her in shocked surprise.

"Wait, what?" Pete's voice went a few octaves higher than normal. "What? Stevie, I don't..."

"Uncle Pete, you don't have to lie to me," Stevie murmured, unfolding her legs so that she could lean closer to her uncle. "And, actually, you can't."

"That never gets less annoying," Pete muttered, sneering at her. Stevie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she removed her glasses and set them on the desk behind her.

"I've seen the pictures, Uncle Pete," the young woman murmured gently. "I've read the files. Bering and Wells were one hell of a team, and it's pretty obvious when they're together that they would have been one hell of a couple too."

"If this is your idea of a pep talk, kid," Pete spoke with a wry smile. Stevie raised her eyebrows at him.

"Myka chose you," she whispered. "She chose you, and she built a life, a family, with you. It's been over twenty years, Uncle Pete, and she's never going to change her mind. She loves you."

"And yet every time the leader of the League of Evil British Writers walks into my kitchen, I turn into an insecure teenager," Pete quipped, frowning so that the worry lines between his eyes appeared. "I'm sorry, Stevie girl. No kid wants to see that from a parent."

Stevie felt her stomach turn over again, and she turned the chair around so that Pete couldn't see the unhappiness in her eyes.

"Except you're not my parent," she whispered, blinking at the image on the computer screen in front of her. In the absence of her pushing the photo slideshow forward, the program had rolled on automatically, and Stevie found herself looking at a picture of herself taken when she was roughly four years old, giggling uncontrollably as her uncle held her like a football under his arm. Stevie smiled despite herself. That little girl hadn't had a worry in the world. From as early as Stevie could remember, Uncle Pete had always been her safe place.

"Oh look, back before all you kids sent me grey," Pete chuckled, coming up behind Stevie and resting his hands on her shoulders. Stevie giggled softly, and then craned her neck to look up at him, clear blue eyes flicking from side to side as she studied her uncle's face from the unusual angle.

"Uncle Pete, why did you and Aunt Myka take care of me?" she asked hesitantly, and Pete instantly whipped the chair back around so that Stevie was facing him.

"What kind of a question is that?" he coughed out, chocolate eyes wide with alarm. "Of course we took care of you. You ask that like we even had a choice!"

"But that's the thing," Stevie shot back. "You did have a choice. It's not like my mom was physically gone. She was always right here. You could have forced her to be involved."

Pete winced as if in pain, and he sighed heavily before he answered.

"Here's the thing, Stevie," he murmured, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. "From the moment I found out you existed, way before you were even born, I knew that I would spend the rest of my life protecting you, even if it killed me." He paused, and it was then that Stevie realised that there were tears brimming in his eyes.

"Your mom wasn't the only one who lost a friend the day that Steve died," Pete continued, his voice cracking. "Your dad and I may not have been particularly close, but we were part of the same family, and we loved each other, and he showed that love the moment he threw himself in front of Myka. He sacrificed himself to save the most important person in the world to me, and my unborn child to boot. I don't even want to imagine what my life would be like if Steve hadn't taken that bullet."

A lump had formed in Stevie's throat, and she was vaguely aware that she was crying.

"I could see it in Claudia's eyes, the moment you were born," Pete rasped. "You look so much like Steve, and she was still so emotionally raw... she just left you in your crib so often that I started to worry that you weren't getting enough affection. Honestly, one day I just... I couldn't just leave you there anymore. I picked you up because you were crying, and it kind of snowballed from there."

Stevie hiccupped as she fought to stop herself from bursting into tears.

"Besides, if you think we ever had a hope of separating you from Miles," Pete said with soft smile, nodding over Stevie's shoulder at the computer screen. Stevie slowly turned her seat back around, and coughed out a small laugh as she found herself looking a photo of herself and Miles as toddlers, both of them coated head to toe in talcum powder, the exploded canister at their feet. Both of them looked vaguely guilty, but there was no denying that they were completely adorable.

"My partner in crime," Stevie whispered, and then got to her feet so that she could wrap her arms around Pete, who returned the hug as hard as he could. He lifted a hand to dry the tears off of her cheeks when the embrace ended.

"I am sorry that Claudia isn't the mom you hoped she would be," Pete told her gently. "But I won't apologise for the fact that I got to raise one of the most amazing kids on the planet. I'm so proud of the woman you've become." He reached up to tweak her nose.

"Don't tell the others, but I think you're my favourite child," he stage-whispered, and Stevie laughed as she reached for a tissue to dry her eyes and blow her nose.

"That's not really a secret," she sniffled, giving Pete a watery smile. Chuckling, Pete leaned forward to press a kiss to Stevie's forehead.

"I'll tell the others that you went to bed," he murmured. "You actually probably should get some sleep anyway. Big couple of days coming up. You're all grown up now."

Stevie nodded and then sighed as she leaned in for another hug, which Pete happily gave her. He kissed her head again before he left the room, and Stevie sank back down onto the desk chair as she reached to close down the computer. Just before she did, the slideshow settled onto a family photo of the Lattimer family, taken just after Bridget had been born. Myka and Pete hadn't even hesitated about including Stevie in the photo shoot that day, and Stevie smiled softly as remembered the way Myka had pulled her close, tickling her ribs to make her laugh, and how Pete had let her climb onto his shoulders so that she could reach towards the clouds. Stevie knew that she could never put into words how grateful she was that the Lattimers had been there to take care of her when Claudia had pulled away, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop wondering how different her life would have been if Steve had lived to see his daughter grow up.


	6. Chapter 6

"Joyeux anniversaire, Stevie!" Zoe declared enthusiastically, skipping up to Stevie and wrapping her arms around the tall blonde. Taken aback by the unexpected hug, Stevie chuckled unsurely as she gently detached herself from the oldest Lattimer daughter.

"I'm assuming that's French for happy birthday, so thank you," Stevie smiled, and Zoe blinked at her for a moment before she went scarlet, even as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried, waving her hands around dramatically. "We just bounced between so many languages at school, and then being in Paris with Aunt Helena... I just have to keep reminding myself that I am back in South Dakota."

Stevie couldn't help but grin as Zoe rambled on in front of her. Myka's mini-me had always had a passion for Europe, and had through tremendous effort managed to convince her parents to let her spend her high school years in a boarding school in Switzerland. Her years away from home had left her with an affected accent that bounced somewhere between French, British and American dependent on both her mood and what words were coming out of her mouth.

"Well, I for one know some people who are very happy to have you home," Stevie told Zoe, glancing around the yard of the B&B. The annual Lattimer Fourth of July barbeque was well underway. There were tables and chairs set up all over the yard, as well as picnic blankets and bench seats where people could sit and talk in small groups. Pete was in the process of building up the bonfire, with the two male Warehouse agents, Rogers and Stone. Stone's partner, Montgomery, had drawn the agent short straw, and was manning the Warehouse office while the party carried on. Across the lawn, Wade was engaged in an enthusiastic conversation with the husband of Myka's oldest niece, while the niece in question sat close by with her own mother, entertaining the chubby baby they had balanced on their laps. Doctor Claire was stirring the punch while nodding attentively at a story Clark was telling. Myka meanwhile was fussing over tables of food, but it was the gaggle of teenagers on the far side of the yard that Stevie's gaze finally fell upon. Shiloh was holding court over her numerous cousins, showing off by performing cartwheels and flips and then laughing as the smaller kids attempted to copy her with varying degrees of success. Bridget was curled up in a lawn chair nearby, her nose buried in a book, but it was clear that she was intently watching her sister interact with the visiting cousins.

"Your sisters love when you come back," Stevie murmured, nodding towards Shiloh and Bridget. Zoe stiffened slightly.

"I've spent so much time away from them that I can never really figure out what to say," she admitted, twisting one of her curls around her finger.

"Zozo, you're like a fancy exotic creature to them," Stevie chuckled. "Besides, whether you went to school in Europe or Indiana, all girls that age are interested in the same few things."

"Music and boys?" Zoe asked, and Stevie nodded as she grinned, bumping Zoe playfully with her shoulder.

"Just tell them you know an Italian pop star," she said with a wink, and Zoe laughed back before she set off across the lawn towards her sisters. Satisfied with her work, Stevie took up a perch on the front stairs of the B&B, but then almost immediately jumped in surprise when Miles noisily threw himself down next to her.

"Happy birthday, gorgeous girl," he grinned, and Stevie let out a happy laugh of surprise as she leaned into his waiting arms.

"When did you get here?" she exclaimed, keeping her body pressed against his side. Despite the awkwardness between them when he'd departed, Stevie had missed Miles in the weeks they'd been apart. They'd always been in each other's pockets, and a small part of her wondered how they were going to survive once they graduated next year and were finally forced to separate.

"Hour or so," Miles said casually, smirking as he tucked Stevie's hair behind her ear. "Ma accosted me in the kitchen and it took a while to escape."

Stevie huffed out a laugh and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing fondly as she surveyed the party in front of her.

"So she turned up this year, huh," Miles commented, nodding his head across the yard. Stevie made an affirmative humming sound as she followed Miles's gaze to where Claudia sat on a bench seat between Helena and Miles's Nana Jane. Claudia wasn't speaking, instead her eyes flicked between Jane and Helena as they talked, though every once in a while Stevie would catch the Caretaker looking in her direction.

"I think Myka guilted her into it," Stevie mumbled gruffly, and Miles gave a monosyllabic laugh in reply, giving her bare knee a sympathetic squeeze.

"Is that your birthday present?" he asked, nodding towards the jewellery around Stevie's neck. Stevie reluctantly lifted her head from Miles's shoulder as she put a hand to the vintage silver batwing necklace she wore.

"I found it on my staircase this morning," Stevie said by way of an answer. "It used to be hers. I've seen it in old photographs."

"So a definite step up from previous years," Miles noted, and Stevie smirked despite herself. It had become a routine over the years; Claudia would avoid actual interaction with her daughter by leaving her birthday gift outside Stevie's bedroom door, but in years past, her lack of knowledge about her child's interests had been apparent in her gift choices. Stevie had a small box of notebooks, pony figurines, candles, and glittery pens stashed in the back of her closet as a memento of disappointing birthdays of years past.

"It came with this," Stevie said slyly, reaching behind her to tug something out of the back pocket of her shorts. Miles's mouth dropped open at the sight of the mini Tesla in Stevie's hands.

"Oh, now that's just not fair!" he exclaimed, reaching for the miniature gun and then sneering when Stevie pulled it away from his touch. "All I got for my birthday was a first edition Dickens. I want a Tesla!"

"Myka won't even let you touch a Farnsworth without flinching," Stevie said with a teasing laugh. "You really think she's going to give you a ray gun?"

Miles pouted.

"I think it might have been my dad's," Stevie continued, using a manicured fingernail to point at the small 'S' engraved on the handle of the gun.

"When Claudia comes through with the goods, she really delivers," Miles commented, unable to keep the look of disbelief off of his face. Stevie offered a small smile in reply, and tucked the mini Tesla back into the waistband of her shorts.

"So, where's my present from you?" she asked cheekily, and Miles curled his lip at her, his eyes already filled with a teasing sparkle.

"Why on Earth would I buy you a present?" he sneered, and then snickered as Stevie let out a peal of laughter. He got to his feet and held out his hands so that he could pull Stevie into a standing position.

"My present requires a road trip," he informed her, letting go of one of her hands but keeping a tight grip on the other. Stevie used her free hand to adjust the neckline of her faded American flag tee.

"Now?" she asked incredulously, glancing around the yard. "Miles, there are people here. There's a party going on. It's kind of for me."

"Pssh, it's only coincidentally for you," Miles teased, giving her hand a tug. "Come on."

"But we haven't even had cake!" Stevie protested. "And what about the fireworks? I love the fireworks."

"Stevie, it's not even dark yet," Miles pointed out. "We won't be gone that long. Don't you trust me?"

"I feel like every time one of us asks that, we end up in some form of trouble," Stevie shot back, nonetheless giving up and letting Miles lead her around the house to where the truck was parked. Letting go of Miles's hand, Stevie threw herself comically at the Chevy, plastering herself against the hood of the car.

"Oh Chevy, how I've missed you!" she declared dramatically. "Never leave me, ever again!"

"You're hysterical," Miles deadpanned, playfully shoving her towards the passenger side of the vehicle. Stevie snickered to herself as she climbed into the Chevy, smiling at Miles as he started the engine and they pulled away from the B&B. Miles flipped on the radio, and after a moment, the pair of them started singing along to the music that filled the car. Neither of them would ever pursue a career in music, but they both had pleasant enough voices that they had no hesitation in singing together as they drove. Stevie was enjoying herself so much that it took her a while before she figured out where their final destination was.

"My birthday present is in the Warehouse?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion as the building in question appeared in the distance.

"Sounds like you're questioning me, Stevie Faith," Miles stated, glancing quickly over towards her before turning his attention back to the road.

"I just don't understand how..." Stevie started, trailing off as she quickly assessed that all of her questions would be futile. She let Miles dash around the car to open her door after they parked in front of the Warehouse, and then followed him through the umbilicus into the office, where Amber Montgomery gave them a startled look from her perch at the research table.

"Just passing through!" Miles called to Montgomery, again taking Stevie's hand as they dashed through the office. Stevie gave Montgomery, who was staring at them open-mouthed, a comical wide-eyed look as Miles dragged her through the door that led to the Warehouse floor.

"Miles, where are you taking me?" she asked in exasperation as he led her through the stacks. Her companion seemed sure of his destination, but they'd taken so many turns that Stevie had lost her bearings.

"Relax!" Miles said with a laugh, swinging her around another corner. "We're almost there."

"Miles, come on!" Stevie whined, and then barely managed to stop herself from crashing into her best friend as he suddenly skidded to a halt. Miles held his hands out dramatically.

"Happy birthday!" he grinned, watching Stevie expectantly. Stevie cast her eyes around the aisle they stood in. Being the Warehouse, the aisle was of course filled with interesting objects, but there was nothing in particular that was crying out to her that it was her birthday present. She gave Miles a look of desperate confusion.

"I don't get it," she murmured, pouting at Miles. Huffing out a sigh, Miles rolled his eyes and grabbed her by the shoulders, standing behind her as he directed her towards the shelf beside her. Stevie hummed softly.

"You're giving me a copper kettle," she stated flatly. "Um, thanks, I guess, but I'm not sure it'll go with the decor in my room..."

"Oh, for Pete's sake," Miles grunted, pivoting around so that he was standing between Stevie and the kettle. "Don't you remember, my eighteenth birthday? We snuck out here in the middle of the night, and I made a wish..."

"Oh my god, the ferret!" Stevie exclaimed, clapping her hands over her mouth. "I can't believe I forgot about that!"

"The impossible wish," Miles smiled, clearly happy that Stevie was finally on the same page as him. "We made a deal, remember? We were both going to use the kettle when we turned eighteen, but when your birthday rolled around..."

"I was too busy throwing up the contents of the whiskey bottle we stole from the party," Stevie winced, her stomach roiling as her mind flashed back to the memory of that night. "I still can't look at a bottle of Jack Daniel's without dry heaving."

"Yes, well," Miles muttered with a wry grin as he rolled his eyes. "I just thought that seeing as though this is your next landmark birthday, that maybe you'd want to make a wish now." He stared at his friend bashfully, and Stevie couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Miles!" she sing-songed, wrapping him in an energetic hug. "That's really thoughtful. You're so cute."

Miles went scarlet at her words, and he bit his lip as he shyly scuffed the toe of his shoe along the ground.

"It's not your entire present," he mumbled. "There's a box of stuff waiting for you when we get back home."

Stevie's cheeks coloured slightly, and she nodded towards the kettle.

"So how do we do this thing?" she asked, and Miles cleared his throat as he reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a pair of purple Warehouse-issue gloves. Stevie watched as he pulled the gloves on and took a step towards the shelf.

"Whatever happened to your ferret anyway?" she asked lightly, absently fingering the batwing pendant at her neck. Miles chuffed out a laugh as he gently lifted the copper kettle from its perch.

"My roommate freshman year was pretty fond of the little guy, so I let him take him when the year was over," he said. "It was the least I could do really, seeing as though you left him broken-hearted and all."

"Aww, I remember Ricky," Stevie grinned fondly, and then her brow furrowed. "Though, in my defence, that was a serious lost in translation thing that went down between us."

"Yeah, where he mistakenly translated that you sleeping with him meant that you were actually interested in him," Miles quipped snarkily.

"Exactly," Stevie laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. Miles rolled his eyes as he stepped up in front of her, holding the kettle between them. Stevie cocked her head at the artifact, and then blinked at her friend.

"You never told me what it was you wished for in the first place," she commented with a sly grin, and Miles blushed again as he cleared his throat and avoided her gaze.

"Doesn't matter," he mumbled gruffly. "It was clearly an impossible wish, seeing as though I ended up with a ferret."

"And what am I going to do when I end up with a ferret?" Stevie questioned, watching as one side of Miles's mouth twitched upwards.

"Bridget really wants a pet," he said slowly, and Stevie choked out a laugh.

"I knew that little sneak would get to you," she giggled, and Miles chuckled again as he held out the kettle towards Stevie.

"You need to completely clear your mind," he instructed, hesitating as Stevie held out her hands. "I mean it, Stevie, really shut everything out. Otherwise you might end up with freshman year Ricky on your doorstep."

"Well, thanks, now I really do have to get that out of my head," Stevie quipped, theatrically squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her body around before she refocused her gaze on Miles.

"Ok, gimme," she grinned, and Miles narrowed his eyes at her for a moment.

"Take the handle," he told her. Stevie blew out a shaky breath, and then reached out and closed her fingers around the handle of the kettle. Miles let go of the bottom of the artifact.

"Now make a wish," he murmured softly, his focus completely on Stevie. In reply, the tall blonde allowed her lips to curl into an amused smile before she closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. After holding her breath for a while, she cracked one eyelid open slightly.

"How long does it take for the ferret to appear?" she stage-whispered, squinting at Miles. The kettle was stagnant in her hands. Miles furrowed his brow.

"It's supposed to be instantaneous," he said cautiously, as though he was scared to approach. Stevie opened her eyes fully and lifted the kettle so she could study it more closely.

"Maybe it's broken," she mused. Miles took a step forward and took the kettle back into his possession. He looked confused.

"I'm sure if there was something wrong with it, there'd be documentation," he commented, nodding his head towards the artifact video display. "Stevie, what did you wish for?"

"Uh, that's none of your business," Stevie deadpanned. "But I can promise you that it was most definitely impossible. There's something wrong with the kettle."

"Well, in that case," Miles said cautiously, placing the kettle back on the shelf, "I propose that we leave this where we found it and very quickly move away before someone starts casting blame."

Both of them jumped a mile as a shrill ringing noise suddenly sounded from Miles's back pocket. Quickly fishing out his cell phone, Miles winced as he showed Stevie the caller ID.

"Hey, Ma," he answered, putting the receiver on speaker.

"Miles, where are you two?" Myka's voice sounded far away, but there was definitely annoyance in her tone. "Your dad is already messing around with fire crackers, and the kids are asking for cake."

"We're heading back now," Miles told her, taking Stevie's hand in his free one as they both began walking back towards the office.

"I honestly don't understand you two sometimes," Myka huffed in exasperation. "Of all the days to disappear... if I find out you got into trouble at all..."

"Ma, you know we're grown adults now," Miles pointed out, screwing his nose up at his phone.

"Miles Warren Lattimer, do not sass me," Myka warned, and Stevie literally snorted as she dissolved into giggles.

"Please get back here," Myka said flatly by way of goodbye, ending the phone call. Miles gave his friend a dirty look.

"Thanks for the backup," he said dryly, and Stevie shook her head at him as she continued to laugh.

"You heard the woman," she snickered. "We need to get back."

"Seriously, the only reason I'm not making you walk back to the B&B is because it's your birthday," Miles snapped, but there was a teasing twinkle in his eye. Stevie replied to this by standing behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders, and hoisting herself onto his back.

"I'm not even walking back to the office," she quipped, wrapping her arms around his neck. Miles hooked his arms under her knees and turned his head so that he could press his nose against her cheek.

"What'd you wish for?" he tried again softly. Stevie shook her head.

"It's not important, Miles," she murmured. "What matters are all of the people who are waiting for us back at home." She made a whipping noise as she tried to kick him in the ribs.

"Onwards, noble steed!"

"You're ridiculous," Miles told her, stepping forward nonetheless. Stevie threw another insult at him in reply, which was quickly rebuffed, and by the time they made it back to the Warehouse office, their thoughts had drifted far away from the wish-granting kettle and its sudden mysterious lack of ferret production.


	7. Chapter 7

Doing Warehouse inventory had seemed like an excellent idea at the time Myka had suggested it, but an hour in, Stevie had lost all focus, and her mood appeared to have rubbed off on Miles. They were wandering behind Stone and Montgomery, who were in turn following Myka and Claudia on what appeared to be a history lesson and quiz on the artifacts of the Warehouse. Neither Stone nor Montgomery seemed very happy to be a part of the excursion, with Montgomery's facial expression in particular reflecting a severe lack of interest. Claudia, meanwhile, was in her element, showing off her artifacts and looking genuinely comfortable with her surrounds, though Stevie noted that her mother's cheeks flushed slightly every time their eyes inadvertently met. Even as Claudia gestured towards a wooden clock and began explaining its origins to the Warehouse agents, Stevie absently ran her fingers along the edge of a shelf, and then whipped around quickly when Miles tapped her lightly on the shoulder with the clipboard he carried. His eyes were glittering with mischief, and Stevie snickered as she darted forward and ankle-tapped him, sending Miles staggering down the aisle. Laughing, Miles came at her with a counter-attack which Stevie quickly dodged, but she wasn't prepared for the playful headlock that gave Miles easy access to teasingly tickle the area of her midriff that was exposed by her cropped tank top. Stevie let out a delighted squeal of mock-protest that she quickly cut short when she caught Myka giving both of them a dirty look.

"Are you two quite done?" the older woman asked, folding her arms across her chest. Stevie quickly freed herself from Miles's hold, clearing her throat and tugging her shirt back into place.

"Sorry," she murmured sheepishly, blushing at her aunt.

"Grown adults, my ass," Myka muttered, but Stevie could see the smile twitching at the corners of her lips. Stevie grinned back and bumped her shoulder against Miles's again, even as she caught Claudia glancing towards them.

"Can I ask why we're even doing this?" Montgomery spoke up, nodding towards the clock in Claudia's hands. There was exasperation in her tone. "There are countless artifacts in this Warehouse. No one could possibly know what all of them do."

"I do," Claudia said flatly, placing the clock back on the shelf and turning towards the agents. Montgomery took a hesitant step backwards, and Stone uncomfortably rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.

"Amber, I know at times that inventory and paperwork can seem tedious," Myka started, her tone gentle but firm, "especially when you come back from artifact retrievals that are full of action and adventure. But a Warehouse agent needs to be well-rounded. You can't count on the fact that someone else will be there to know all the answers. Just remember, even I'm not going to be here forever."

Beside Stevie, Miles made a small whining sound in his throat and kicked at the concreted floor with the toe of his shoe. Furrowing her brow, Stevie glanced over at him.

"You ok?" she asked gently. Miles gave her a half-hearted smile.

"I know it's only hypothetical, but I don't like thinking about her not being here," he murmured, and Stevie reached out and stroked his cheek.

"Myka Lattimer will never leave her babies behind," she whispered reassuringly. "Matter of fact, I'm fairly certain she already has a recon plan in place to make sure that never happens."

Miles chuffed out a laugh. Stevie grinned at him and then jumped backwards, stifling a giggle when Miles took another swipe at her with his clipboard. With Myka having gotten through to her charges for the time being, the history lesson further down the aisle had recommenced, so Stevie retrieved her own clipboard from where she'd dropped it on the floor and wandered off a few paces to take note of the artifacts stored on the shelves before her. Checking on the artifacts higher than eye level would require a ladder, and Stevie couldn't remember seeing one close by, so she opted to focus on the lower shelves, hunkering down and then grinning at the layer of dust that indicated that no one had been through the aisle in quite some time. Marking a few items off of the list in front of her, as well as testing display screens and brushing away some of the dust, Stevie stifled a sneeze as she straightened up. Hearing Miles chuckle behind her, Stevie was about to turn around and snark at him when her gaze fell on a wooden and brass hourglass that was lying on its side.

"I wonder how long you've been knocked over for," Stevie mused, setting down her clipboard on an empty expanse of shelf, and leaning forward to get closer to the artifact. Reaching out, she placed both hands on the hourglass and picked it up, turning it upright and setting the sand inside into motion. Giving the dusty glass a quick swipe to push some of the grime away, she went to place the hourglass back down on the shelf when she heard a panicked yelp.

"Stevie, no!"

Claudia's shout was clearly alarmed, but it was so sudden that Stevie jumped in shock, and her movement caused her to bang the hourglass down with a sharp jolt.

"Stevie!" Claudia shrieked again.

"I'm just fixing it," Stevie stated loudly, her face perplexed as she shot a look over her shoulder. "What's the..."

Suddenly the entire aisle started to shimmer, as if it was under a large heat lamp, and Stevie heard a high-pitched ringing in her ears. This was accompanied by a bright flash of light that left Stevie seeing spots as it faded away, which was when Stevie realised that even though she was still standing in front of the Warehouse shelf, the hourglass she'd just set down was nowhere to be seen.

"... big deal," Stevie trailed off, pulling her hands back and turning back towards the aisle. "Well, that was interesting."

Stevie stopped short as she took in her surroundings. Everyone else that had been in the aisle had disappeared.

"Miles?" Stevie called, feeling her heartbeat start to quicken. She put a hand to her throat to nervously finger her batwing pendant, and took a nervous step down the aisle. "Aunt Myka?"

The Warehouse was eerily quiet. Stevie swallowed hard as she tried not to panic.

"Mom?" she tried hesitantly.

"Put your hands in the air and turn around slowly."

Stevie's heart suddenly felt like it had stopped. Though she'd never before heard it in person, thanks to videos and recordings the voice that came from behind her was as familiar as Pete's or Myka's. Doing as instructed, she shakily raised her hands to the back of her head and turned hesitantly, trying to keep her breathing under control. As she completed her rotation, her crystal eyes met ones identical to hers. For Stevie, it wasn't the Tesla pointed directly at her face that made her start to shake.

"Oh my God, it's you," she whispered. Despite all impossibility, standing right in front of her, was her father, Special Agent Steve Jinks.


	8. Chapter 8

A look of determination was plastered across Steve's face as he took a few short steps down the aisle towards where Stevie stood stock still, her hands still in the air.

"How did you get into the Warehouse?" he demanded, his Tesla trained on the girl in front of him.

"I... I... I don't... I think..." Stevie stuttered as she shot a panicked look towards the shelves of the aisle. Her eyes widened slightly as a thought shot through her mind.

"The hourglass," she whispered under her breath, her heart hammering in her chest as she quickly pieced the facts together. She glanced back towards Steve.

"What date is it?" she asked.

"Hey, I'll ask the questions around here!" Steve shot back.

"Please," Stevie murmured. "I think I can explain."

Steve's frown softened slightly.

"It's May 30th," he told her. Stevie swallowed hard.

"What year?" she asked hesitantly, and when Steve relayed this information, Stevie felt the colour drain from her face.

"Time travel," she gasped softly, her mind reeling as she tried to process what had happened.

"What?" Steve demanded, stepping closer again. "Who are you, and how did you get into the Warehouse? I'm not going to ask again."

"Time travel," Stevie said again, raising her voice. "There was an artifact; an hourglass. I was doing inventory, and I picked it up to set it straight. It was right there." She nodded towards the shelf beside her. Steve raised an eyebrow at her.

"There's no hourglass on that shelf," he pointed out.

"That's because this Warehouse hasn't collected it yet," Stevie stated, biting her lip as she felt her stomach turn. "I'm not from this time. I think the hourglass was a time travel artifact. I... I'm from the future."

Steve hesitantly lowered his Tesla as he studied her, and Stevie took this as an indication that she could take her hands away from her head.

"You're a Warehouse agent?" he asked, frowning again. Stevie exhaled loudly.

"Kinda," she offered, her voice a hesitant squeak. Thinking quickly, she unhooked the mini Tesla that Claudia had given her from her belt loop and held it out in her palm.

"Look, I have one of these," she pointed out. "Only Warehouse agents get Tesla's, right?"

Steve still didn't look entirely convinced, and Stevie couldn't blame him.

"What's your name?" he asked. Stevie opened her mouth to answer, and then hesitated.

"Look, I'm not one hundred percent sure about the rules on time travel, and I'm worried that if I say the wrong thing, I'm going to make a change to the future and, you know, erase myself," she said, grimacing at Steve, who cocked his head at her for a moment.

"You're not lying," he conceded. Stevie's heart skipped a beat at the words that so regularly came out of her mouth. She smiled hesitantly.

"So... what am I supposed to do with you?" Steve asked, glancing around. "Warehouse agent or not, I can't exactly leave you down here."

"Is, um, is Artie around?" Stevie tried, her shoulders raised in a half-shrug. "If anyone can tell us how time travel works, it'll be him."

"You know Artie?" Steve asked, and Stevie winced and let out a little whine as she bit back her answer.

"Right, rules, erasing the future," Steve muttered, holstering his Tesla and then beckoning towards her. "Artie's back at the office. I'll take you up there, but I want you to know that if you even so much as move your hand toward that Tesla you own, I will have you in the Bronzer before you have the chance to blink."

Stevie placed a hand over her mouth to try and mask her amused grin.

"Got it," she nodded. Steve frowned at her.

"So... you know who I am?" he asked, and Stevie blushed scarlet.

"You're Steve Jinks," she said bashfully, and Steve huffed out a breath of acceptance as he turned around and led her back down the aisle. As they wove their way back towards the Warehouse office, Stevie tried as surreptitiously as she could to take in every inch of Steve Jinks. He wore a light blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbow, paired with black jeans and comfortable looking dress shoes. His dirty blond hair was shaved close to his head, and there was a light sprinkling of stubble on his cheeks. When he turned his head and glanced at her to ensure that she was keeping up, Stevie was struck again by the fact that she really had inherited the clear blue of his eyes, and the shape of his mouth and chin.

"You know, you look disturbingly familiar," Steve commented, catching Stevie off-guard. She could only offer a shy smile in reply, and Steve shook his head slightly as they reached the door to the office.

"Maybe I..." Stevie started, but before she had the chance to finish her sentence, Steve put a hand on her shoulder, opened the door with his free hand, and then pushed her into the office in front of him.

"Guys, we have an issue," Steve spoke up, and three heads swivelled in their direction, and almost as quickly, guns and Teslas were pointed their way. Stevie barely had time to process what was going on in front of her. Again, her head was spinning as she took in Pete, Myka and Artie all standing in front of her. They were all so familiar, but at the same time, she was immediately able to pick out the subtle differences of the versions of the people she loved. Stevie hadn't seen Artie at the Warehouse in years, and his presence in the office was slightly overwhelming to her. Pete's hair showed no signs of grey, and he was notably thinner than Stevie had ever seen him. Myka meanwhile had a few less lines and wrinkles on her face, and while still natural, wore more makeup that Stevie was used to seeing on her. The look of protective determination on her face, however, hadn't changed at all.

"Little help?" Stevie squeaked at Steve, who stepped slightly in front of her and made a lowering motion with his hands.

"Stand down," he said gently, and while Pete and Artie hesitantly lowered their Teslas, Myka wasn't so quick to put down her weapon.

"Steve, who is this?" she asked sharply.

"That's what we're trying to establish," Steve answered, staring at Myka until she finally holstered her gun. "I found her in the stacks. She says she's a Warehouse agent. She's claiming a time travel artifact sent her here."

"Well, if anyone could tell if she was lying, it would be you," Artie commented, taking a step forward. "Anything off?"

Steve huffed out a frustrated breath as he shook his head.

"No," he conceded. "But that's as far as we got. She's worried about saying too much and altering the future."

Artie cocked his head towards Stevie.

"Smart girl," he commented gruffly, and Stevie felt her cheeks flush at the compliment.

"I figured you'd know what to do," she murmured, and Artie held up a finger.

"Uh, uh, no more talking," he warned. "Just... stay." He wandered off towards one of the storage rooms without explaining why, leaving Stevie, Steve, Myka and Pete all staring awkwardly at each other. Stevie found herself glancing towards Pete, her fingers and toes twitching as she fought to stop herself from running towards him, to let him protect her like he had her entire life. She had to remind herself that he didn't know her, and he wasn't her safe place, at least not yet.

"Are you sure you're really an agent?" Myka enquired, taking a few steps forward and folding her arms over her chest. She was frowning slightly as she studied Stevie closely. "You're so young."

"That's what happens when you're family," Stevie drawled before she could stop herself, and then clapped her hands over her mouth in horror.

"Damn it," she squeaked.

"Family?" Pete asked curiously, and Stevie clenched her teeth as she tried to find a way to not lie about the situation. She could feel Steve's eyes on her, waiting for her to slip up.

"I'm, I'm what you'd call a legacy," she finally said, twisting her fingers together nervously. "I, uh, I guess you could say that Steve and I are distantly related."

"Well, I'll be damned, you got yourself a cousin, Jinksy," Pete enthused, and Stevie bit her lip as she glanced over her shoulder at Steve, who was blinking at her, his expression slightly perplexed. He didn't respond to Pete's statement.

"Are you hungry, or thirsty?" Myka offered gently, though there were still remnants of uncertainty on her face. Stevie swung her arms around awkwardly as she stepped across the office and perched on one of the chairs around the research table.

"Any chance of coffee?" she asked hopefully, clasping her hands around one of her knees.

"I'm still campaigning for a coffee machine," Pete said apologetically. "At the moment we have to rely on..."

"You guys, we really have to talk about a coffee run rotation," came a snarky voice from the umbilicus doorway. Stevie's eyes went wide, and she sat up straight as her body stiffened. Claudia loped into the office, dumping a tray of takeaway coffees in Steve's hands, and tossing a bag of pastries towards Pete.

"Just because I am the youngest, doesn't automatically make me the errand boy," Claudia continued obliviously, dropping her bag on the floor as she flung herself down into a desk chair. "I mean, I'm not even the new guy anymore."

"Uh, Claud," Myka spoke up, and Claudia cocked her head in reply, her eyes finally falling on Stevie.

"Speaking of new people," Claudia drawled curiously, using her feet to pull her chair forward. "Where did you come from?" She glanced at Myka hopefully.

"Did Artie give in and let us hire an intern?"

"Better," Pete grinned, walking up behind Stevie and resting his hands on her shoulders. "Claud, we got ourselves a time traveller! Cool, huh?"

"Wait, are we talking like an excellent adventure?" Claudia asked, her eyes wide with intrigue, and Stevie grinned despite herself.

"More like Marty McFly," she offered, and behind her, Pete laughed.

"Awesome, there's Back to the Future in the future!" he chuckled, and Stevie turned to smile at him.

"I have an uncle who's really into pop culture references," she commented, and Pete's grin grew wider.

"Your uncle sounds like a cool dude," he said enthusiastically, and Stevie felt the heat rise in her cheeks again as she took in his familiar dopey grin.

"He really is," she murmured fondly.

"I thought we agreed that there would be no talking!" Artie exclaimed, bustling back into the office with an armful of files clutched to his chest. His agents all immediately took a step back and looked slightly guilty, while Stevie nervously brought left hand to her mouth so that she could bite down on her thumbnail. Artie glared at the occupants of the office, and then huffed out a breath.

"It's going to take a while for me to get through all of this," he muttered, nodding towards the files. "Pete and Myka, you should follow up on that ping that we were discussing before the arrival of our visitor here. Claudia, I need you to go down to the stacks and pick up some things for me."

"But Artie," Claudia started, her whine immediately cut off by a dirty look. Artie waved around a piece of paper clutched in his hand.

"Go down to the stacks," Artie said evenly, and Claudia sneered at him as she got to her feet, snatched the list out of his hand, and stomped out of the office, muttering under her breath. Stevie could only stare after her in startled bemusement. She'd heard so many stories of Claudia's snarky exuberance from her aunt and uncle, but a part of her had always remained sceptical, so to see it in the flesh was somewhat of a shock to her system.

"Artie, what about me?" Steve asked, his eyes flicking between his boss and Stevie. Artie shrugged at him.

"You found her, you get to babysit her," he quipped, turning on his heel and heading for the staircase, leaving Steve flabbergasted in his wake. Businesslike as always, Myka was already moving around the office, collecting files and shoving the Farnsworth into the pocket of her jacket. Pete, meanwhile, was digging through the bag of pastries Claudia had arrived with, and he glanced towards Stevie as he pulled a muffin out of the bag.

"You want one?" he asked, holding out the bag with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, I couldn't," Stevie said quickly, despite the fact that she could feel her stomach rumbling. Myka snatched the bag out of Pete's hands and placed it on the table in front of Stevie.

"Take them," the curly-haired agent quipped, even as Pete yipped out a protest. "Lord knows Pete doesn't need the calories."

"Hey, I work out!" Pete cried defensively, but Myka was already out the door and yelling for him to hurry up. Pete shot a quick glance in Stevie's direction.

"Catch you later, McFly," he grinned, and then scrambled after his partner as she shouted his name again. Stevie couldn't help but smile, and she reached for the white paper bag in front of her, almost moaning in satisfaction as she spied a croissant. She broke off a piece and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly as she looked up to find Steve studying her even as he leaned on the edge of a desk halfway across the room. Hesitantly, Stevie pushed the pastry bag in his direction. Steve didn't move at first, but he eventually pushed off the desk and wandered across the office to take the seat next to Stevie.

"Pete obviously has a good vibe about you," he observed softly. Stevie raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"And you?" she asked curiously. Steve clasped his hands together as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"What you said, about us being related," he said gruffly, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "Thing is, I can tell it's not a lie, but it doesn't make any sense. My parents were both only children, and my sister never had the chance to start a family. I don't... it's not possible."

"I feel like there's a but," Stevie said slowly, tilting her head to the side as she watched Steve exhale deeply.

"We have the same eyes," Steve murmured. "I'm not blind. I can see Jinks all over your face."

Stevie stuck a finger into her mouth to lick away the last of the croissant crumbs, as she pondered her next question. Steve was still studying her with his eyes, and while it was unnerving, it was also thrilling. She decided to mirror his pose, leaning in closer to him.

"How do you handle it?" she asked inquisitively, watching as Steve's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "The lie detector, I mean? Do you ever just find it so completely overwhelming? Like your head and heart are in a war with each other?"

"Well, yeah," Steve answered without hesitation. "It can be a nightmare. It's one of the reasons I turned to Buddhism, learned to meditate, so that I could shut out all the noise. It was the worst when I was in college, and trying to date. People tell so many little white lies..."

"And it kills you, because all you can think is if they're not being honest now, will they ever be?" Stevie finished.

"Yeah!" Steve exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically, and then his eyes suddenly went wide with realisation.

"You have it too?" he asked incredulously, and Stevie nodded as she blushed.

"Bit of a blessing, bit of a curse," she quipped, casually shrugging her shoulders as she sat back. Steve was gaping at her, and Stevie had to fight all over again to stop her cheeks from burning scarlet. The fact that he was so close, so... there; she could hardly believe that it was true.

"There are so many questions," Steve remarked, sounding slightly dazed.

"I know," Stevie concurred, unable to keep the slight whine out of her tone. "But until somebody reassures me that I'm not going to alter the future by talking about it..."

"Better to be safe than sorry," Steve muttered in defeated agreement, getting to his feet and absently rubbing a hand over his closely-shaven scalp. Stevie slowly rose from her chair as well, watching him cautiously again.

"You never did tell me your name," Steve said in an enquiring tone. Stevie winced.

"Even that might give away too much," she said uneasily, and Steve pursed his lips.

"So... what do we call you then?"

Stevie glanced towards the doorway and felt a little grin form on her face.

"McFly will work for now," she offered, and she watched as Steve shook his head ruefully, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he allowed himself to smile back at her.

"You're gonna be trouble, McFly," he quipped, and this time Stevie allowed herself to blush, a shy laugh escaping her lips before she could stop it. Steve nodded towards the door, and asked if she wanted to head to the B&B. Swallowing hard, Stevie took one last look around the office, and then nodded in reply, snatching up the bag of pastries as she followed him out the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Lost in thought, a knock on the door behind her caused Stevie to whip around quickly, and a blush formed on her cheeks as she brought her thumbnail back up to her mouth to chew on nervously. Claudia smiled gently back at her from the doorway, wrinkling her nose a little to show her amusement.

"How're you doin, McFly?" she drawled, and Stevie huffed out a sigh as she flicked her eyes around the room she stood in. The bedroom that they'd offered her would eventually belong to Zoe in the future, but in the moment she was in right now, it was just an unoccupied room, decorated sparsely in soft floral prints that Stevie supposed were meant to be calming and welcoming, but it was throwing her off-balance. Her own room was currently Claudia's, while Steve was in the bedroom that Stevie had always known to be occupied by her mother. Perhaps the weirdest thing of all to Stevie was that Myka and Pete had their own separate rooms that displayed no indication of ever being shared. The rearrangement of everything she held dear was starting to make her stomach churn, and she figured it was probably best to just communicate this to Claudia.

"I, um, I thought I was doing ok," she mumbled, blowing out a shaky breath. "But everything that's supposed to be familiar, it's actually all wrong, and I'm trying not to panic, but..."

"Hey, hey, take a breath!" Claudia cried, darting into the room quickly and taking Stevie's hands in hers. Stevie was quickly startled back to attention by the very fact that Claudia was touching her.

"I didn't think it was possible to be homesick when you're standing in your own home," Stevie whispered, and Claudia's face softened into an expression of realisation.

"Oh my God, we're so stupid," she murmured condescendingly. "Here we all are grilling you for information, and not one of us stopped to think how overwhelmed you must be right now. I mean, look at you. You're just a kid."

"I'm twenty-one," Stevie told her quietly, reluctantly pulling her hands away as she took a step backwards. Claudia gave her a knowing look, but didn't say anything further. Stevie hung her head as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Even after all my time in the Warehouse, I honestly never expected time travel to be an actual option," she said, chuffing out a disbelieving laugh. Claudia offered her a wry grin.

"World of endless wonder," she parroted, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's just a lot to process," Stevie murmured. "I mean, never in my life did I think that I would be the same age as my m..." Her eyes went wide as she caught herself just in the nick of time. Claudia was watching her expectantly.

"My, my mentor," Stevie stuttered out, toying with her ponytail nervously. A proud grin slowly crept over Claudia's features.

"I'm your mentor?" she asked incredulously, her eyes sparkling. "Really?"

Stevie could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and even though it made her feel slightly ill to have to so blatantly lie, she nodded her head as she sank down onto the bed. Claudia looked positively giddy.

"I'm a mentor," she murmured goofily. Stevie offered a cautious smile in reply, and Claudia blinked a few times before shaking her head as if to clear it.

"I don't really have much in the way of sleepwear, but I brought you some pyjamas," she said, nodding at the cotton shorts and camisole that she'd dropped on the bed on her way into the room.

"That's thoughtful, thank you," Stevie mumbled.

"I spoke to Myka, and she said that you can take something from her closet if you want clean clothes tomorrow," Claudia continued, "though, to be honest, I'm not sure if you'll find anything that's your style."

Suddenly aware that Claudia was assessing her attire, Stevie flicked her eyes downwards. It had been such a long day that she'd almost forgotten what she was wearing. Her short skirt was made of deliberately distressed dark denim, and her sneakers were an old pair of practice shoes that her team mates had stolen one night and decorated in team colours. Her tank top was cropped and tight, decorated in a geometric pattern of greys and yellows. Knowing Myka's wardrobe, Stevie could see the point that Claudia was trying to make, but she still blushed despite herself.

"I can usually make something work," she said with a half-hearted smile.

"Honestly, you're probably coping better than I would if I was in your shoes," Claudia commented, returning the smile. "I'll leave you alone for now, unless you want me to stay?"

Stevie was suddenly torn. All she'd ever wanted was for Claudia to want to spend time with her, but now that it was happening, she couldn't help but feel like she was pushing boundaries on the unknown.

"You can go if you want to," she finally said softly. "I think I'll be ok."

Claudia nodded towards the door.

"I'm just across the hall," she murmured, "and Steve's a few doors down, so if you need anything..."

"I know where to find you," Stevie acknowledged, and then watched as Claudia made her way out of the room.

"Try and get some sleep, McFly," Claudia said soothingly, her hand resting on the doorknob. "Things will all make sense in the morning."

"Good night," Stevie murmured back, waiting until Claudia finally closed the door before she allowed herself to fall backwards onto the bed, bringing her hands to her face as she fought to try and bring some order to her brain. It was almost too much to take in, and she was so mentally unprepared for what had been presented to her. Her parents, her proper, un-emotionally damaged, flesh-and-blood parents, were in the same building as she was. She'd had a full, albeit stilted, conversation with the father she thought she'd accepted she'd never get the chance to meet. In all of her wildest dreams, Stevie could never have imagined being in the position she'd found herself in, and even if she had, she could guarantee that she wouldn't have pictured herself there alone. Stevie would be the first to admit that she had never had to face anything on her own before; Pete, Myka and Miles had never really given her the opportunity to be alone, and Stevie had always just accepted that it would always be the case. Sitting up, Stevie put out a hand to take the clothing Claudia had left behind into her lap. The pyjamas were surprisingly some of the most familiar items she'd come across, closely resembling the sleep attire Claudia still wore in the future. Stevie felt her heart rate start to come down as she exhaled loudly and started to piece her thoughts together. She'd found herself in an unfathomable situation, but even with the panic still surging through her veins, Stevie had to admit that the opportunities it presented were undoubtedly of the positive variety. Claudia was emotionally reachable for the first time in Stevie's life, and Steve was suddenly there, so that she could learn everything about him. Stevie drew her lower lip between her teeth as she tried to stop herself wishing that Miles was with her. The Warehouse had always looked after her, there was no denying that, and as such, Stevie supposed that despite the unease she still felt in the pit of her stomach, she should trust that she was in good hands, and seek to take advantage of just where she'd ended up.

* * *

Claudia had raised an eyebrow and smirked when Stevie descended the staircase the next morning, making some of the courage Stevie had managed to muster overnight retreat ever so slightly.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked, pausing tentatively a few steps away from the base of the stairs.

"No, you did not," Claudia grinned. "I just don't think that Myka would ever dream of utilising that shirt quite the way you have."

Stevie glanced down at her attire. Myka's wardrobe consisted mainly of jeans, smart dress slacks, and button down shirts, none of which were really to Stevie's taste, but the blonde time-jumper had unearthed the dark pink tee that she now wore from the depths of the closet. Opting to keep her own skirt and shoes for the time being, after pulling on the shirt Stevie had found it far too loose for her liking. Stevie had rolled up the sleeves, and then gathered the bottom of the shirt into a knot fastened on the left side, revealing her belly-button and the toned stomach that hours of dancing and acrobatics had produced.

"Claud, don't tease her," Steve chided gently, walking towards the door while swinging a set of car keys around his finger. He offered Stevie a half-smile, which she returned as she finished her descent.

"Aww, come on, everyone knows it's what I do," Claudia shot back, already herding Stevie out of the door. Her gentle ribbing continued when they stopped at the Univille coffee house, where Stevie ordered and then practically guzzled the biggest coffee that was available on the menu.

"I'm just saying!" Claudia laughed as they entered the Warehouse office through the umbilicus door. "You barely drew breath! That was a scalding hot coffee, and you put it down faster than Pete with a plate of cookies. And then you ordered another one!"

Stevie clutched her takeaway coffee cup in one hand, and placed the bag of muffins they'd bought for Artie onto the research table.

"Caffeine gives me life," she grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I got it from my aunt. She'd put Americano's in an IV if she could."

"Reminds me of Myka," Steve commented, and Stevie tried to hide her wince. Amid the noise, Artie bustled into the office, grunting at Claudia even as she handed him his own cup of coffee.

"Guess what Artie, in the future, I'm a mentor," Claudia chirped happily, flopping down on a desk chair and swinging casually from side to side. Artie turned to Stevie and raised a bushy eyebrow.

"I see that your efforts to keep quiet went well," he narked. Stevie pouted.

"Hey, it's hard!" she whined defensively before taking another sip of her coffee. Artie grunted again as he shuffled past Steve to the research table, subtly drawing the bag of muffins towards him as he sat down. Even with his hand inside the bag, he nodded towards the stack of books on the far side of the research table.

"Time travel is not supposed to exist," he started gruffly, holding up a finger when Claudia opened her mouth to protest. "I effectively erased time with the astrolabe, and HG's machine required the inhabitation of another body. What we're dealing with here, is something new, for our time at least."

"Wait, are you saying that Artie Neilsen doesn't have all the answers?" Steve asked incredulously, folding his arms over his chest. Artie glared at him.

"No, Steve, that is not what I am saying," he barked. "What I am saying is that without knowing the exact artifact that sent our young visitor here back to us, my resources are limited."

"Am I stuck here?" Stevie asked tentatively. "Am I ever going to be able to go home?"

"One day I'm going to be able to finish what I'm trying to say without being interrupted," Artie muttered. "These books, they are the journals of some former agents, as well as other men throughout history, who have recorded what they claim were efforts in travelling through time. I spent most of last night trying to put together how it is we are supposed to keep you safe while you are in this timeline."

Stevie sighed as she glanced around and then realised that rather than looking towards Artie, both Steve and Claudia were watching her, clearly making sure that she was handling the barrage of information. Her heart skipped a beat. Without knowing it, her parents were acting to protect her, and suddenly a little part of Stevie wondered if maybe she shouldn't be so focused on getting back to her own time.

"From what I was able to decipher, these travellers documented interactions with their relatives and people who would influence their own lives, but wrote these journals within their own timelines," Artie stated. "My concern is that none of these stories ever list what allowed the writers to travel through time. Without more thorough checking, I can't even confirm if the stories are true."

Stevie bit her lip.

"So I am stuck," she murmured, feeling tears brim in her eyes. Without even thinking about it, she leaned towards Steve, and rested her head against his shoulder. It was only when Steve's arm snaked around her waist and pulled her against his side that her breath caught in her throat.

"My advice, Miss McFly, is that you try to keep your revelations about the future as vague as possible," Artie said gruffly, pushing himself to his feet. "No lottery numbers, no political elections, no dates on the death of the well known. We, and I do mean we, will keep working on finding you a way home."

Stevie nodded as she sniffled slightly. Artie glared towards Claudia, who was looking slightly devious.

"Do not grill her for information on your own future," he barked authoritatively. "There is still a very big risk involved with her presence here."

Claudia scowled at him.

"You are the captain of the fun police," she muttered. Artie continued his glare.

"I could use your help," he said pointedly, and even though she rolled her eyes, Claudia got to her feet and followed Artie out of the office. Stevie and Steve stood there in silence for a while, neither moving, and then Steve cleared his throat softly.

"If I let you go, are you going to be able to stand on your own?" he murmured, which was when Stevie realised just how heavily she was leaning against him, just savouring his warmth. Letting out a bashful laugh, she pulled away from him, sticking her thumbnail between her teeth nervously. Steve stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Do you think maybe now you can at least tell us your name?" he asked, his blue eyes searching hers. Stevie stared back at him from a moment, and then winced, shaking her head as she directed her line of sight to the floor.

"I, um... my name..." she stuttered. "Steve, I was named after somebody, and if I tell you what my name is, it'll tell you more than you should probably know."

Steve had raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, and Stevie knew she was blushing again, which she was really beginning to hate. Away from the Warehouse, she exuded confidence, took chances, and was generally happy and free-spirited, and she wanted Steve and Claudia to know that side of her and not some flustered, insecure girl barely out of her teens.

"So, someone died?" Steve asked cautiously, and Stevie nodded, wrinkling her nose in defeat. After a moment, Steve shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"So McFly sticks," he acknowledged.

"Thanks for understanding," Stevie murmured, fiddling with her necklace. A look of recognition suddenly flickered across Steve's face.

"Claudia gave that to you, didn't she?" he asked curiously, taking a step forward. "It's her favourite. She must really love you to have passed it on."

Stevie bit back the sarcastic comment that automatically bubbled against her lips, but she was unable to stop the lump that formed in her throat. Steve's words stung. The urge to just blurt out the truth was overwhelming, especially when Steve was still looking at her the kind of fondness she'd always imagined he would. Instead, she nodded towards the pile of books that Artie had left on the research table.

"I wonder if maybe Artie would like it if we did some research," she rasped out, trying to keep her voice steady. She was already sitting down before Steve had the chance to respond, and she noticed the confused look that crossed his face, but he sat down beside her and handed her a book. Stevie smiled half-heartedly and busied herself with the journal, but she looked up when she felt Steve's eyes on her.

"McFly," Steve murmured. "You know you're safe here, right? Claudia's already adopted you, and I promise you that I will look after you the best I can. At the end of the day, you're one of us, and we look after each other."

Cursing internally as she blushed again, Stevie gave him a genuine smile which only grew wider when Steve reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It was such a subtle gesture, and she wasn't sure that he'd ever know how much it meant to her. Stevie turned her eyes to the book in front of her, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing towards Steve from time to time. She still couldn't believe he was there, but as long as she was, she'd keep as close as she possibly could.


	10. Chapter 10

Stevie, by observation alone, begrudgingly came to terms with the fact that a solution to returning her to her own time was not going to come quickly. Artie was definitely focused on the end game, but the Warehouse never slept, and the pings kept coming, which meant that the Warehouse agents were coming and going as they continued the artifact retrievals that were their main fodder of their job description. Stevie worked with Artie to describe the hourglass, the blinding light, and how she felt as she'd travelled, and the senior agent took his notes and retreated to his alcove to do more research, barking at Stevie to keep her hands off of anything that might disrupt the future. If Stevie was honest, Artie's gruff demeanour was somewhat soothing, if only because he'd always spoken to her that way. Artie had never treated Miles or Stevie as anything other than equals, even when they were children, and it had always been appreciated. His forwardness had helped shaped Stevie and Miles into the people they'd become, and Stevie was glad that he was still teaching her life lessons, even in a different timeline. Keen to keep out of trouble for one of the first times in her life, Stevie took to parking herself in the corners of the Warehouse office, just watching as everyone else worked. Claudia sassed Steve like she considered it a requirement of life, but Steve just rolled his eyes and followed after her, protecting her like she was his prized possession. Stevie couldn't help but smile at their antics, her knowledge of the future of course giving her some insight to the underlying feelings and thoughts of those around her. If Stevie had to be honest, as much as she was loving watching Claudia and Steve, it was Pete and Myka's interactions that gave her a warm feeling inside. They were constantly baiting each other until one of them, though it was usually Myka, lashed out, and the bickering ensued, and then five minutes later they were joking and holding hands like the best friends that they were. Despite her initial uneasiness at her aunt and uncle being apart, it was now easy for Stevie to see that even though it would be another few years before they finally admitted it, Pete and Myka were already in love. Still thinking about relationships and the logistics of how they came to be, Stevie retreated from the office one morning and took up a perch on the stairs that led to the Warehouse floor, tucking her dress underneath herself before resting her elbows on her knees. It had been Artie who had suggested, voice thick with emotion, that perhaps Stevie could find some fresh clothes in Leena's closet. Stevie had hesitated at first, knowing that Leena had not been gone long at all, but Myka and Claudia had agreed, and even though Myka had teared up and left the room while they'd gone through the closet, she'd softly commented on how pretty Stevie had looked the next day. Leena had been significantly shorter than Stevie, but, even thought they weren't Stevie's usual style, the innkeeper's dresses fit quite well. Studying the paisley print of her dress, Stevie didn't realise that Pete had followed her out to the stairs until he grunted softly as he sat down beside her.

"You doin ok, kid?" he asked by way of greeting, and Stevie offered him a small smile as she pulled her long hair over one shoulder.

"It seems pretty busy today," Stevie commented, nodding up towards the office. "I just wanted to keep out of the way."

"And yet you looked happier being surrounded by people than you do sitting out here on your own," Pete commented, and Stevie chuffed out a small laugh.

"You've always been such a great reader of people," she said without thinking.

"Ah, so you do know me in the future," Pete grinned. Stevie bit her lip as she debated what she should or shouldn't say, but eventually she powered forward.

"I want to tell you something about the future," she offered, "but only if you promise to not tell anyone else. It's something just for you."

Pete looked pleased that she'd even offered, and he nodded his head in agreement. Stevie twisted her fingers into the hem of her borrowed dress before she continued.

"My dad, in the future," she murmured, then swallowed hard at the lump that formed in her throat. "He's... um, I... I grew up without my father. But because of you, I never really felt like I missed out in that regard. You practically raised me, and you've always protected me."

"I knew I got good vibes from you," Pete said with a soft smile. "So, we're close?"

"Closer than close," Stevie reaffirmed. "You're my Uncle Pete. And everyone knows that I'm your favourite kid."

Pete blinked at her.

"I have kids?" he asked, his voice indicating a hint of disbelief.

"Yeah," Stevie said softly. "And before you ask, I'm not telling you how many, or who their mom is. But you're really happy, Pete, and you made me a part of that."

Pete looked slightly dazed, but he snapped out of his thoughts long enough to offer Stevie that dopey grin she loved so much.

"So what do we do, you and me?" he asked. "We hang out?"

"Mostly, we watch football," Stevie grinned teasingly. "All the way from college games through to the NFL."

"Oh, please tell me you follow the Browns," Pete begged, and Stevie laughed.

"O, H," she stated with a smile, and Pete made a delighted crowing noise as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I can totally believe you're my favourite," he chuckled. Stevie relaxed against his side, and Pete gave her a soft squeeze.

"You're ok by me, kid," Pete told her softly. "You ever need anything, just tell me, and Uncle Pete will come to the rescue."

Stevie hummed her appreciation as she reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Pete looked at her fondly for a moment before he transferred a serious expression onto his face.

"So, I came out here for a reason," he stated. Stevie cocked her head inquisitively.

"You said it yourself, we're busy," Pete commented. "So, we were all talking, and we decided that seeing as though you're an agent, it's about time we put you to work. How do you feel about going on a snag and bag?"

* * *

"I know we're actually out on assignment, but do you think there might be a way I can buy some clothes while we're there?" Stevie asked a few hours later, from the backseat of Steve's Prius. Claudia turned in the passenger seat so that she could face Stevie, and held up a yellow legal envelope.

"I raided Artie's hidden cash drawer," she grinned, using air quotes to indicate just how hidden the drawer was. "Figured you might at least be in want of some clean underwear."

Stevie gave her a grateful smile, and Claudia winked before turning to stash the envelope back in her bag. Steve met Stevie's eyes via the rearview mirror, and Stevie tried not to blush at the concerned way he looked at her.

"Do you have enough room back there?" Steve asked. "Are you comfortable? Do you need more air?"

"Whoa, easy there, Pops," Claudia teased, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Someone put their dad pants on before we left."

Even as she watched Steve curl his lip at his partner in response, Stevie swallowed against the lump that formed in her throat at Claudia's words. She hoped her face had stayed neutral.

"I'm fine," she murmured towards Steve, offering him a lopsided smile. "I promise, I'll tell you if that changes."

Steve seemed satisfied with that answer, making an affirmative noise even as he ignored Claudia chucking under her breath. The pair started up their usual banter, and Stevie just sat back and listened, quietly enjoying the situation she had found herself in. Claudia talked at a rapid-fire pace, seemingly without a filter, about any topic she could find, though it was becoming apparent to Stevie that much like Pete with Myka, Claudia excelled at pushing Steve's buttons. Steve either didn't realise she was doing it intentionally, or enjoyed the game as much as Claudia did, because he played right into her hands every time and never seemed to try anything to change it. They were clearly the perfect fit for each other, and Stevie felt herself start to relax as the miles passed by. Somewhere along the way Claudia grew bored with goading Steve, and started up a music app on the Prius's sound system. Stevie recognised and appreciated what she knew as oldies music thanks to a musical education from a roommate in high school, and she started to hum along to the familiar song. Like it often did when she drove somewhere, her humming transitioned to singing without her even thinking about it, but after a few minutes, Stevie realised that aside from her own voice and the sounds from the stereo, the car had fallen silent. Opening her eyes, Stevie found Claudia staring at her with her mouth slightly ajar, while Steve kept glancing up at the rearview mirror. There was clear fascination in his expression.

"What did I do?" Stevie asked hesitantly, her cheeks flaming. The corner of Claudia's mouth curled upward in amusement.

"You got vocal skills, girl!" she crooned. "You sound great!"

"I'm not that good," Stevie mumbled, staring down at her hands.

"Lying," Steve piped up from the driver's seat, and Stevie found herself grinning despite herself. Claudia adjusted herself in the passenger seat so that she could really talk to Stevie.

"So, in the future, do we jam?" she asked eagerly. "You know, you, me, some acoustic guitar, rocking tunes?"

Claudia's enthusiasm was unbridled, her eyes shining, and Stevie felt a heaviness form in her stomach as she thought of how badly she'd wanted Claudia to want to just spend time with her as a child. Stevie swallowed hard, not wanting her voice to give away her dismay.

"We're pretty busy in the future," she murmured, avoiding Claudia's eyes. "You have the Warehouse, you know, and I've got school..."

"School?" Claudia yelped in confusion, and Stevie was suddenly very glad that Steve was the one driving the Prius. "You said you were twenty-one!"

"I am twenty-one," Stevie shot back. "I'm a college student. I'm about to go into my senior year, at the University of Minnesota."

"Ok, sorry, please wait while I compute all of this," Claudia murmured, flopping back down in her seat. Steve glanced up in the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed.

"You told me you were an agent," he stated.

"Technically, no I didn't," Stevie answered with a slight wince. "I asked you if I'd have a Tesla if I wasn't an agent. You were the one who took that to mean I was an agent. I'm sorry. I didn't want to deceive you..."

"I guess you learn all of the loopholes when you spend your life picking out the liars of the world," Steve murmured, and then put his hand on Claudia's knee when her face clearly conveyed that her mind had been blown yet again.

"You have the lying thing?" Claudia yipped, her eyes flicking between Stevie and Steve like she was watching a tennis match. "And you knew?"

"Claud, it's not that big a deal," Steve said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Claudia howled, punching Steve hard in the arm. Steve barely managed to keep the Prius in a straight line.

"Hey, I'm driving here!" Steve yelped back. Claudia sneered at him before turning her attention back to Stevie, who wasn't bothering to hide her wide-eyed, startled expression.

"I'm supposed to be your mentor!" Claudia whined. "What gives with telling him stuff, and not me?"

Stevie shifted uncomfortably, tugging on her seatbelt.

"I didn't know there was a rule!" she exclaimed, pouting slightly.

"Claudia, you're severely overreacting here," Steve chided, and Claudia opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it again, flopping down in her seat and folding her arms over her chest. She pouted back at Stevie.

"I just wanted to be the one you shared things with," she whined, and Stevie felt her stomach knot up again as she took in the longing in Claudia's eyes. Stevie was beginning to wonder if that sick feeling she got every time Claudia said or did something that was contradictory to the mother Stevie had always known would ever go away. She sighed and drew her lower lip between her teeth.

"Maybe we can, you know, jam, when we get back to the B&B?" she offered gently. Claudia screwed up her nose as excitement spread across her features.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, kid," she stated, and Stevie nodded in agreement. Seemingly placated, Claudia turned back in her seat the face the road again, subtly giving Steve's knee a squeeze before digging into her satchel for their case file. Steve caught Stevie's eye through the rearview mirror again, raising an eyebrow as he looked for her to indicate that she was comfortable. Stevie nodded softly, and Steve's eyes crinkled as he smiled in satisfaction. As Claudia started a conversation with Steve regarding the case at hand, Stevie settled back into her seat.

"First family roadtrip," she whispered to herself, feeling a smile tug at the corners of her lips. She couldn't deny that even though there were tinges of awkwardness, ultimately, there was a happiness in her heart that she'd never felt before.


	11. Chapter 11

Pete let out a startled yip as he darted behind a shelf, but he was already laughing as he emerged from his hiding place.

"Claudia wasn't kidding," he chuckled as he dusted off the seat of his pants. "You're a horrible shot with the Tesla."

"Charming, Pete," Myka quipped dryly, casting her eyes towards Stevie, whose cheeks were flaming even as she grasped her mini Tesla in both hands. In front of where Stevie and Myka stood, the Tesla coil that was kept in the far reaches of the Warehouse was live, hooked up for target practice after Claudia's discovery while on their artifact retrieval, that Stevie had terrible aim. Even though their snag and bag had been successful, Claudia had clearly experienced joy in reciting the tale of two slightly singed security guards and an electrified flag pole to anyone that would listen. Myka had taken pity on a very embarrassed Stevie and offered to practice with her, and because Pete was incapable of being left alone for more than ten minutes, he had followed them down to the stacks.

"I'm sorry!" Stevie whined, lowering the ray gun to her side. "It's not like I get to do this very often."

Myka positioned herself behind Stevie, lifting her arm and curling her fingers around the blonde's wrist.

"The Tesla has a kick to it," Myka stated gently, her chin practically rested on Stevie's shoulder. "You have to line up your target, and hold on tight. Put your other hand just above mine."

Stevie followed her instruction, resting her palm near her pulse point. She drew in a sharp breath but kept focused on Myka's direction.

"Pick your target area," Myka instructed. "Focus, and then... fire."

Exhaling, Stevie swallowed hard and then tried not to close her eyes as she pulled the trigger on her Tesla. When her shot hit the Tesla coil dead on, she couldn't help the little squeak of surprise that escaped her lips. She whipped around to face Myka, her eyes shining with delight.

"I did it!" she exclaimed. Myka was wearing an amused smile.

"It was a good shot," the older agent said warmly. "We'll give it a few minutes and then you can try it again without me holding your hand."

"Wait, why don't you get to use the Tesla very often?" Pete interrupted, strolling over to where Myka and Stevie were standing, the path now clear. Stevie gave Myka a wry look, before glancing back at Pete.

"She freaks out if we even look at the gadgets," Stevie stated with a crooked smile. "The field agents let us get away with a lot of things that they don't tell Myka about, but they draw the line at letting us use the Tesla arsenal."

Pete snorted.

"Even in the future, you're bossy," he quipped at his partner, who wrinkled her nose at him in annoyance. She cocked her head towards Stevie.

"Why does it matter if I say you shouldn't use the Tesla?" she asked curiously, toying with a strand of her hair. Stevie let out an exasperated groan as she rolled her eyes.

"I swear to God, it's like I can't stop words coming out of my mouth," she muttered, tugging uncomfortably on her earlobe. She gave Myka a pained look.

"You don't have to tell us anything you don't want to," Myka murmured apologetically. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot."

"No, I guess this one's ok," Stevie said slowly. "In my timeline, you're the senior agent, Myka. Everyone respects you. You're a great leader."

"Is Artie dead?" Pete yelped, and Stevie felt her eyes grow wide.

"No!" she cried emphatically. "He's old! He retired and moved to Atlanta to be with Doctor Calder."

Both Myka and Pete looked relieved, and Stevie pursed her lips together expectantly. Pete nudged Myka with his shoulder, but he was studying Stevie with his eyes.

"You said 'we', and 'us'," he pointed out. "Are there, you know, others, like you?"

"Yes, ok, there's other legacies," Stevie bit out. "But I'm not telling you if they're your kids, Pete."

Myka punched Pete in the arm, and he grunted at the contact.

"Ok, ok, sorry!" he exclaimed. "I just think that it's cool, in the future we're practically running Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

"I'd say more like Miss Peregrine's," Stevie quipped, watching as a smirk flickered over Myka's features. "The Warehouse finds ways to expand itself over the years, in some unexpected ways, but where I come from, we're family."

Stevie watched as Pete glanced towards Myka and gave her a soft smile. Myka's cheeks flamed in response, and she looked down at the floor before she cleared her throat.

"Where you are right now, we're family too," Myka said firmly. Beside her, Pete suddenly giggled, and Stevie furrowed her brow. Even Myka looked confused.

"I'm sorry, I'm just picturing Artie's face the first time a kid set foot on the Warehouse floor," Pete snickered. "I'll bet there was full-on old-man wobbles, and grumbles, and, and... was there steam coming out of his ears? Did his eyebrows catch on fire?"

Myka placed a hand over her lips, but Stevie could see the smirk twitching there. She scratched at her eyebrow absently as she tried not to laugh.

"I was too young to remember," she confessed, "but I've heard the stories. Mainly because the first thing we did was set that scarab beetle loose again. We were playing fetch with Trailer. It kept the dog occupied for the next two years."

Pete let out a proper belly-laugh, stumbling backwards slightly as he did so. Shaking her head in amusement, Myka stepped forward and held out a hand for Stevie's Tesla. Stevie felt her stomach knot up, but after a moment she handed the weapon over.

"If I'm so against you having a Tesla, how did you end up with one anyway?" Myka asked, turning the gun over in her hands.

"It was a gift," Stevie murmured, wrapping her arms around herself.

"From Claudia, no doubt," Myka cracked, rolling her eyes. "Artie will be pleased to know that it's authority in general she fights against, not just him."

"What makes you say it was Claudia?" Stevie asked softly. Myka tapped a fingernail against the engraved initial on the handle of the gun.

"She put your name on it," she said with a smile. "Same as Steve's. Only the lucky ones get that kind of treatment from Claud."

Stevie held out her hand for her weapon, but when Myka gave it back, instead of turning back to the Tesla coil, Stevie clipped the gun back on her belt loop and let out a shaky breath. Myka suddenly looked confused.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, leaning absently against Pete, who had come back to stand beside her after wandering off. There was concern in Pete's eyes.

"You ok, McFly?" he asked gently. Stevie clenched her teeth as she avoided their gazes. She was trying not to cry again. They both spoke about Claudia with such clear adoration, like it would never actually occur to them to think that the bright and bubbly girl they knew would in just a few years time completely shut down to the point that her child would practically be abandoned. It was just so unfair that a big part of Stevie wanted to blurt out the truth, consequences be damned, if it meant that there might be a hope that their lives would change for the better. But then she looked at Pete, and all she could see was Miles, and the thought that he might never get the chance to even exist if she ruined it all stopped her in her tracks.

"I promised Artie that I'd help him with the time travel research," Stevie murmured, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "So I should probably, you know, go do that." She nodded towards the Tesla coil.

"Thanks for the lesson."

"You're welcome," Myka said gently. "Look, we know that this whole experience has been hard for you to take in, but if you ever just need to talk, beautiful girl, we're here."

Stevie blinked at her.

"What did you just call me?" she whispered. Myka looked startled.

"I... uh, oh, beautiful girl?" she stammered. "I'm sorry, did you not like...oh."

"I'm confused," Pete declared. "What am I missing?"

"It's a thing," Myka stated in realisation, taking a step towards Stevie. "In the future, I call you that, don't I? Beautiful girl?"

"Maybe it's just a coincidence..." Stevie trailed off, but she knew she was blushing, mainly because Myka was blushing as well.

"Can I?" Myka started, holding out her hands awkwardly. "I mean, could I... can I give you a hug?"

"Oh, God, yes please," Stevie practically whined in relief, folding herself into Myka's arms. The embrace was warm and familiar, and Stevie let out a soft sigh.

"You always gave the best hugs," she murmured. Myka cradled Stevie's head against her shoulder even as she hummed fondly.

"I will always, always, be there for you," Myka stated softly. "I hope that when you're a little girl and I pull your hand away the first time you reach for a Tesla, you understand that I do it with love."

"If I remember right, I shrieked so loudly that Artie spilled his coffee, and that I told you that you were a big meanie," Stevie said, a grin twitching at her lips as she pulled away from Myka's hug. "I was six."

Myka blinked for a moment before she burst into laughter, which in turn set Stevie off, her giggles continuing even when Pete wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Sounds like you got put in your place, Mykes," Pete teased as the trio started to wander their way back to the office.

"Hey, I bit you when I was four," Stevie informed him. "You didn't believe me when I said I had a stomach ache, and you tried to force me to eat my broccoli. When you started shouting about me biting you, I cried so hard that I threw up on your shoes."

Pete went white as Myka practically doubled over in a fit of laughter.

"The Prada?" he gasped in horror, and when Stevie nodded her confirmation he let out a pained groan. Stevie grinned.

"I think you were more traumatised than I was," she chuckled. "You never made me eat a vegetable again."

"I think I'm traumatised now," Pete wheezed, and Myka tucked an arm through his, taking the rare opportunity to mock her partner as he lamented the future loss of his favourite shoes, and Stevie couldn't help but smile as she again bore witness to the Pete and Myka she would come to love in the madness of her own timeline.


	12. Chapter 12

There had been several research sessions with Artie where it honestly felt like they were chasing their tails, and Stevie had begun to wonder if there was even a chance that she'd be able to return to her own time, but the time she'd spent with the older man early one morning about three and a half weeks after she'd arrived had actually started to seem like they were yielding some possibilities. In lieu of the hourglass's physical presence, Artie was starting to lean towards experimentation; combining different elements of artifacts to create a possible time loop or tear that could send Stevie back to where she'd come from. When Stevie finally left Artie to his deliberations, he was begrudgingly unearthing some of H.G. Wells's articles to study further, mumbling under his breath about being forced into desperate measures. Driving back to the B&B in the SUV she'd borrowed from Pete, Stevie found herself battling an inexplicable uneasy feeling in her stomach. She knew she should be thrilled that Artie was finally finding some answers, and the idea of seeing Miles again definitely made her feel a little less heartsick, but there was a spinning wheel of emotion plaguing her thoughts. Unable to put a cap on her feelings, Stevie decided to try and lighten her mood by stepping into the kitchen. Rifling through the pantry, which was clearly starting to dwindle in supply now that Leena was no longer around, Stevie still managed to collect the ingredients she was looking for, but also a few others that reminded her of a recipe that had been passed on when she was a little girl. Smiling to herself, Stevie reasoned that with Pete around, anything she made would be devoured, so she set to work. Soon the scent of baking was wafting through the B&B, and Stevie knew it wouldn't be long someone appeared in the doorway, though she was slightly surprised when that person turned out to be Claudia. Stevie had started to school herself into relaxing more around the younger version of her mother, and over the course of a few days she'd come to enjoy Claudia's company, though the lump that hardened in the pit of Stevie's stomach when Claudia contradicted her future self unknowingly never really went away. Claudia sniffed the air, her Bambi eyes wide.

"Do I smell cookies?" she asked hopefully, taking another step into the kitchen. Stevie smiled as she set the baking sheet she'd just pulled out of the oven onto a cooling rack.

"You do," Stevie confirmed, chuckling under her breath as Claudia let out an excited squeak and practically leapt onto a kitchen stool. "And here I thought Pete was the cookie monster of the house."

"Who doesn't love cookies?" Claudia quipped, reaching for the tray, and then yipping when Stevie smacked her hand with a spatula.

"They're still hot," Stevie laughed as Claudia pouted. "You literally just watched me take me take these out of the oven."

"But... chocolate chunk..." Claudia whined, gazing longingly at the tray. Smirking, Stevie slid the bag of cooking chocolate across the bench, and Claudia grinned before popping a piece in her mouth. Chewing slowly, she surveyed the ingredients still left on the bench top.

"Are you?" she started, flicking her gaze up to meet Stevie's eyes. "Are these the ingredients for oatmeal scotchies?"

Stevie made an acknowledging noise as she turned on the kitchen tap to rinse off the mixing spoons she'd used for her first batch of cookies.

"They were Artie's favourite when we were kids," she said gently. "He's been working so hard to help me, so I just wanted to do something to say thank you."

Claudia swallowed hard.

"No one's made oatmeal scotchies since Leena... since..." she murmured, and Stevie dropped her spoon in the sink as her eyes went wide with realisation.

"Oh Jesus, no one ever said the recipe was hers!" she whispered in horror. "I'll stop!"

"No, no!" Claudia said quickly, climbing off her stool to prevent Stevie from hurriedly packing away the ingredients she'd gathered. Stevie took a sharp intake of breath when Claudia's hand closed over hers.

"It's a really nice idea," Claudia murmured, offering Stevie a half-smile. "I think Artie will be very grateful for the gift."

Stevie bit her lip as she looked down at the fingers entwined with hers, the chipped black polish on Claudia's nails a stark contrast to her own bare ones.

"Why don't you grab your guitar?" she suggested, watching as Claudia's eyes crinkled at the corners. "We can, you know, whistle while we work?"

Squeaking happily, Claudia gave Stevie's hand another squeeze before she dashed off, and Stevie in turn tried to keep her own nervous giggle to a minimum as she turned back to the kitchen bench. She was measuring out ingredients when Claudia returned, a pick clenched between her teeth as she slung the strap of her acoustic guitar over her shoulder. Settling back onto the stool, Claudia strummed a few notes before looking up at Stevie, who was covertly sucking honey off of a spoon.

"So, what songs are you into, McFly?" Claudia asked, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean, please say something from, you know, now."

Stevie chuffed out a laugh as she wiped up some spilled flour.

"Let's work on my musical education," she smiled, and Claudia nodded even as a smirk twitched at her features. While Stevie began mixing ingredients together, Claudia started to play, her rich, throaty voice soon joining the sounds of the guitar. Stevie felt her heart grow warm, and she focused on the contents of her mixing bowl so that Claudia couldn't see the blush staining her cheeks. Her mother's voice was beautiful. Again, as a child Stevie had heard the stories of Claudia playing sets at the coffee house, and in the future there was still a guitar gathering dust in the corner of her bedroom, but singing was just one of the many things Claudia had given up after Steve's death.

"Come on, girl, I know you know this one," Claudia drawled, smiling encouragingly at Stevie, who swallowed hard, straightened her shoulders, and then belted out a perfect note to match the one Claudia had just sung.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Claudia crooned enthusiastically, and Stevie giggled before she continued to sing along, mixing cookie dough together as she went. Only when Stevie placed the cookies in the oven to bake did Claudia stop playing. Her face was flushed with happiness.

"I'm putting my foot down," she declared, resting her hand on the top of her guitar. "When you get back to the future, I want you to demand that we sing together. Don't take no for an answer, McFly."

Stevie turned quickly to open the refrigerator door so that Claudia couldn't see the smile fade from her face. She didn't want to ruin the moment, and she sighed as she turned back to Claudia, resting her elbows on the bench top so she could place her chin in her hands. Claudia had placed her guitar on the floor, and had helped herself to one of the chocolate chip cookies from Stevie's first batch. She cocked her head towards Stevie even as she chewed.

"What's up, McFly?" she asked, using the tip of her finger to wipe away a crumb stuck to the corner of her lip.

"What if I don't want to go back?" Stevie offered softly. "What if I could, you know, stay?"

Claudia slowly lowered her half-eaten cookie to the bench top, her eyes wide.

"You're not actually serious?" she said, the sentence of mixture of a statement and a question. Stevie studied her fingernails.

"Maybe," she whispered.

"But what about your life?" Claudia asked gently. "Your friends, McFly? Your family?"

"To be fair, quite a few members of my family are here, right now," Stevie shot back, and Claudia huffed out a breath as she rolled her eyes.

"A version of us, of course," she conceded, "but come on girl, you can't really be thinking about this."

Stevie sighed as she straightened up, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she avoided Claudia's gaze.

"Oh, McFly," Claudia breathed, sliding off of her stool and wandering around the bench. "Honey, what is so wrong in your life that you wouldn't want to go home?"

"You don't understand!" Stevie cried suddenly, her emotions overtaking her. "I feel more at home here than I've felt where I come from in years. I love it here. Working with Pete and Myka, hanging out with Steve, singing with you..."

She trailed off as she looked down at where Claudia had laid her hand on her wrist.

"Here, I get to talk to you," Stevie whispered. Claudia's face wrinkled in confusion.

"Wait, what?" she frowned. "But I'm..."

"You're not my mentor," Stevie confessed with a small whine, hanging her head. "I lied. I'm sorry. I just wanted you to like me." She paused to let out a sigh.

"In the future, you barely even know I exist."

There was a short silence, and then Claudia made a low growling noise.

"Well, future me is stupid," she declared. "You're amazing, McFly."

Stevie huffed out a dismissive breath, but started suddenly when Claudia reached up and cupped her cheek.

"You can always talk to me," she stated emphatically. "I want you to remember this, when you go home. If for some reason you ever feel like I'm not hearing you, you take a guitar, you put it in my hands, and you make me listen, ok?"

Stevie swallowed hard as she matched Claudia's wide-eyed, unwavering stare. She couldn't remember a time in her life when Claudia had ever looked at her the way she was looking at her right in that moment. And still, her stomach had knotted up again when Claudia had mentioned home. Deep down, she knew the fiery redhead had a point, even if she still really wasn't sure if she wanted to admit it.

"The scotchies are going to burn if we keep this up," Claudia quipped softly, and Stevie coughed out a laugh even as she moved away from Claudia's touch so that she could rescue the cookies in question from the oven. A satisfied smile settled onto Claudia's face as Stevie placed the baking tray onto the kitchen bench.

"Oh, McFly, you did good," she crooned enthusiastically, inhaling deeply. "They smell just like hers used to."

"Wait for it," Stevie murmured, a grin tugging on her lips. "Three, two..."

"Cookies!" Pete boomed from the doorway. "Aw man, I knew I smelled scotchies!"

"They're not for you!" Claudia snapped, smacking at Pete's hand in exactly the same way Stevie had done to her earlier. "She made them as a gift for Artie."

"Artie is but one man," Pete declared dramatically, turning his earnest eyes towards Stevie. "And you definitely need a taste tester, am I right?"

"You are insufferable, dude," Claudia commented.

"It really is very hard for me to say no to you," Stevie said wryly, sliding a plate with two cookies on it towards Pete, whose whole face lit up in reply.

"You're still my favourite kid," Pete mumbled through a mouth full of baked goods. "And damn, these are good. Like, definitely Leena-worthy."

"Well, leave some for everyone else then!" Claudia cried indignantly, whacking Pete on the chest as he reached for more cookies.

"What are you, my mom?" Pete shot back, turning instead to the refrigerator to retrieve a carton of milk.

"Ha, can you imagine me as a mom?" Claudia laughed, giving Stevie a wink as she wandered towards the doorway. "Pretty sure I'll be sitting that experience out."

Claudia was already waving her goodbyes as she exited the room, but Stevie barely saw the gesture as she busied herself with tidying up the bench again. She swallowed hard against the lump that hard formed in her throat, willing herself not to cry at how much Claudia's oblivious declaration stung.

"Kid, are you ok?" Pete asked, swooping to Stevie's side when a soft squeak escaped her lips. Stevie let out a shaky breath, avoiding Pete's intense gaze as she fought to compose herself.

"Being here can be really confusing sometimes," she murmured, finally meeting Pete's concerned stare. "Sometimes I forget I'm not actually at home, you know, and then one of you says something, and it, I, I guess, it kind of jerks me back to reality."

"Kid," Pete murmured soothingly, and Stevie shot him a half-hearted smile as she pushed away from the bench.

"I'm ok, Pete," she told him, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "I just need some time to process my own thoughts."

Pete's look of concern was the same in every timeline, and Stevie was surprised to find that it did actually serve to help calm the whirlwind inside her mind. She sniffled a little before she pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Don't eat all of my cookies," she warned, backing towards the doorway, and Pete's jaw dropped in offended mock-rage.

"Wha?" he cried, wrinkling his nose. "I am feeling incredibly victimised right now!"

"You're the one who teaches me how to raid the cookie jar in the future," Stevie informed him with a small giggle, and Pete had the audacity to blush as he slunk away from the bench, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. When Pete started to whisper where Myka kept hidden reserves of Twizzlers, Stevie couldn't help but laugh, but the hard lump in her stomach remained as she continued to try and resolve the torn feelings she had between staying in the past, or returning to the future that was hers to live.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Can I take a second to thank enterprise29 for the reviews, and everyone else for the likes and follows? It's very much appreciated. xo**

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She'd been curled up in the corner of the couch at the B&B for nearly an hour, her nose stuck in a novel that she'd actually started reading earlier that summer in the future, when something was suddenly waved in front of her face. Lowering her book, Stevie frowned up at Steve, who offered her the beginnings of a teasing grin as he held out a pair of glasses.

"I've been watching everything you read creep closer and closer to your face ever since you got here," Steve commented, his grin growing wider as Stevie wrinkled her nose. "I think you might need these."

Stevie huffed out a breath as she adjusted her position on the couch so that Steve could sit down, and then accepted the frames from him.

"Stupid me, I left my glasses in my other time travelling pants," Stevie quipped, flaring her nostrils. "Whose are these?"

"They're just from the stand at the gas station," Steve told her. "You know, the magnifying ones? But I thought they might help."

Stevie crossed her eyes at him, and then slid the glasses onto her nose.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I've been trying to ignore it, but all that research with Artie has started giving me headaches. I didn't realise it was that obvious."

"Like I said, I've been watching," Steve told her, smiling fondly. Stevie felt her cheeks grow warm.

"That's a little stalkerish," she drawled with a devilish grin. Steve rested an arm over the back of the couch as he looked towards her.

"I'm still trying to figure out how it is we're actually related," he admitted. "The more I watch you, and talk to you... hearing the way you speak, seeing your mannerisms... there's no denying that you're a Jinks."

Steve paused to let out a small sigh.

"You may look like me, but, damn McFly, you act so much like my sister sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe."

"Olivia, right?" Stevie asked, taking off her glasses and crossing her legs so she could lean closer to Steve. "I, um, I'm sorry I don't know much about her. I'm a Jinks on my dad's side, and like I told you all, he wasn't around so..."

"Olivia was loving, and funny, and so incredibly smart," Steve said with a smile that displayed echoes of both sadness and affection. "She was always the first one to step up when someone needed help. Liv was the best big sister anyone could ever ask for. She was my best friend."

"Do you miss her?" Stevie asked, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Every day," Steve answered, his voice cracking. "But Claud, she, she really helps with that. More than she'll ever understand, I think."

"She really loves you, you know?" Stevie stated, offering Steve a cautious half-smile. "Claudia thinks you hung the moon, Steve."

"I'd give my life for hers," Steve shot back instantly, and then chuckled under his breath. "Matter of fact, I recently did."

Stevie didn't have time to fight back the churning in her gut before Steve hit her with his next question.

"Surely you have a friend like that, McFly?" he asked. "Back in your time, I mean. Someone who would do anything for you?"

Images of Miles; his sweet smile, the way he threw his head back when he laughed, and the look he got in his eyes that was reserved solely for her, flashed through Stevie's mind. Beside her, Steve let out a soft laugh.

"Oh, there's a familiar look," he murmured knowingly, his eyes sparkling. "Details, please."

"Miles," Stevie whispered, surprising herself with the sudden longing in her tone. "He's been my best friend literally my entire life. He's a protector, a worrier, but so fiercely loyal that I think sometimes he doesn't see my faults. I, um, we don't spend a lot of time apart. People tend to think of us as a combined set."

She paused to grin ruefully.

"Makes it kind of difficult to find a date, to be honest," she quipped, rolling her eyes. Steve gave her a knowing look.

"And when exactly did you figure out that he was in love with you?" he asked, cocking his head curiously. Stevie cleared her throat uncomfortably as she rested her chin on her knees, avoiding Steve's gaze.

"I dunno, maybe like high school senior year?" she finally offered, her voice raising a few octaves at the end of her sentence. "I started meeting one of the guys on the baseball team to hook up every once in a while. Miles was pretty unsupportive of that decision. He got snarky, and mean, and we had a huge fight. The other kids started joking that we'd broken up. Even then my roommate had to spell it out for me. I was so oblivious, and then I felt really stupid."

"Obviously you and Miles worked things out though?" Steve queried, and Stevie shrugged.

"If by worked out, you mean we just pretended like it never happened," she murmured. "After a while we just kind of drifted back together again, because that's how we are, but we've never really talked about it. Every once and a while the whole situation bubbles to the surface again, but we awkwardly dance around it, and don't actually talk about it, and then it goes away again. But we both know it's still there."

Steve shifted a little closer to Stevie, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"And how do you feel about the whole situation?" he asked gently. Stevie huffed out a heavy sigh and tried to avoid his gaze.

"I don't know!" she whined. "He's my best friend, Steve. No one knows me like he does. Miles is everything that is special to me."

"I sense a but," Steve said, his tone bordering on paternal. Stevie bit her lip.

"What if it all goes wrong?" she asked, her forehead wrinkled in worry. "What if I let him in, and it doesn't work? It's not just Miles I have to lose. His family, they're my family. They're all I have, and I have already lost so much in my life... Without them, I have nothing, and the thought of them shutting me out is more than I can take."

It was only when Stevie tried to take a breath that she realised she was crying. When Steve held out his arms, it didn't occur to her to hesitate before she burrowed against his side, whimpering softly as she tried to stop her tears.

"God, I'm so tired of crying in front of you people all the time," Stevie mumbled against Steve's shoulder. "I'm not usually like this, I swear."

"It's ok," Steve told her reassuringly, resting his chin on the crown of her head. "We've all been in overwhelming situations before."

Stevie chuffed out a laugh as she peered up at him through wet lashes. Steve cracked a half-smile that Stevie knew she could echo identically if she wanted to.

"McFly, I can tell you for certain, no matter what happens between you and Miles in the future, Pete and his family will never turn their backs on you. It's not in Pete's nature to walk away, and if he loves you even half as much in the future as he does here and now, he wouldn't be able to leave you behind even if he tried."

Stevie blinked at him for a moment.

"I never said that Miles was Pete's son," she whispered shakily.

"Miles was Pete's father's name," Steve murmured back. "I did the math. Don't worry, I won't tell him."

Stevie gave him a worrisome look. Steve held up his hands in mock-defence.

"Hey, you know I'm not lying," he said with a soft chuckle. Stevie sighed in reply and wiped at her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand.

"For what it's worth, McFly, I think you should give the boy a chance," Steve said to her. Even as Stevie blinked at him, Steve grabbed a couch cushion and placed it on his lap before patting it with his hand.

"When Claudia feels overwhelmed, she likes it when I stroke her hair," Steve told her gently. "I get the feeling you might be the same?"

Stevie straightened her back as she took a moment to study the man in front of her. She wanted to memorise every small detail of Steve's face; the small scar that cut across the stubble on his chin, the faint freckles on his nose, the colour of his eyelashes, and the hint of a dimple that appeared on the left side when he smiled. Sky-blue eyes that reflected kindness and warmth stared back at her, and Stevie bit her lip before she crawled into his lap. Steve gave her a moment to settle before he placed his fingertips gently onto her head and then drew them slowly downward. After a few minutes, Stevie felt her whole body relax, and her eyelids began to droop.

"Steve," she whispered sleepily, but the man in question made a soft shushing noise in response.

"Close your eyes if you want to," he murmured. "I got you."

A warmth of joy at his words filled Stevie's heart, and she marvelled for a moment at the thought that she was in her father's arms, just like she'd craved to be all of her life. Emotionally exhausted, Stevie closed her eyes, and fell into the deep kind of sleep that only came when someone knew that they were protected, safe, and loved.


	14. Chapter 14

"You don't talk about your mother much."

Around the table, three heads shot up. Steve and Claudia were out on assignment, but Stevie sat with Artie, Pete and Myka at the research table in the Warehouse 13 office. It was Artie that spoke, the comment so nonchalant that it wasn't immediately apparent who he was speaking to. He didn't even look up from the book he was paging through, and it took Stevie a moment to ascertain that he was talking to her. By that point, Myka and Pete were looking towards her curiously.

"I'm sorry?" Stevie asked gently, twirling her pencil between her fingers. Artie raised his bushy eyebrows as he peered at her over the rims of his glasses.

"Your mother," he repeated slowly. "The entire time you've been here, you've barely mentioned her. You talk about Pete and Myka regularly, more than once you've commented on how busy Claudia is, and we know that I'm retired and that Steve is your long lost relative. But your mother seems to be conspicuously absent from your stories."

Stevie blinked at him, her mouth slightly ajar as she tried to find the right answer to what appeared to be some sort of challenge.

"I, I, uh... I'm," she stammered.

"Artie, you were the one who told her not to speak about the future," Myka cut in, her brow slightly wrinkled.

"And yet, every time I turn around, there's another tidbit of information floating around," Artie snarked. Stevie felt her face grow hot.

"I just find it odd that a twenty-one year old girl fails to talk about her mother," Artie continued, setting his book aside and glancing towards Stevie.

"What, like you're so open about you and your father, Artie" Pete commented sarcastically.

"I am not a twenty-one year old girl!" Artie barked, glaring at Pete before looking back at Stevie. Stevie shot a wide-eyed look at Myka, who despite still looking confused, shrugged slightly as she rested her elbows on the table.

"Well, my curiosity is piqued," she murmured apologetically. "And if Artie's the one asking the questions, we can't get in trouble for prying."

"She makes a good point," Pete chipped in, turning his earnest face towards Stevie, who sneered at her future aunt and uncle.

"Some support crew you turned out to be," she commented dryly, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. Stevie huffed out a defeated breath as she realised there was no way that she was getting out of the conversation. She was thankful that Steve wasn't present, so that there was at least the opportunity to twist the truth so that she could at least mask the reality of the future.

"My mom is a Warehouse agent," Stevie bit out reluctantly, tapping her pencil against the table. "Has been so long as I've been alive. She's very good at her job, and the Warehouse has always been protective of her."

Stevie pursed her lips as she met Artie's eyes.

"My mother loved my father more than anyone else in the entire world," she said evenly. "It destroyed her when he left us behind. She's a shell of a person, and has been my entire life, so as you can imagine, my relationship with her is not exactly what people would call close. I would like to be able to say that my mother is kind, or understanding, or loving, but the truth is, I barely know her at all."

Pete let out a low whistle, while Myka looked slightly horrified at the revelation she'd just heard.

"Sorry if I'm not very good at hiding my disappointment," Stevie murmured towards Artie. "Was there a point to your prying?"

"Artie was embracing his inner Gossip Girl," Pete snarked, pushing himself up from his seat so that he could stand behind Stevie. He placed a reassuring hand on Stevie's shoulder as he glared at Artie, who glowered back at him in response.

"Don't forget that you supported the line of questioning," he sneered at Pete, before glancing back at Stevie.

"I apologise if I upset you, Miss McFly," Artie rumbled gently. "I've been working on a theory for a few days, but there were some holes that I needed to fill in. I had an inkling, but I needed your confirmation."

"Did you get it?" Stevie asked, patting Pete's hand reassuringly. Her uncle didn't move despite the gesture. Artie shrugged as he closed his book. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but then appeared to reassess his train of thought.

"No," he admitted, shuffling to his feet. "But rest assured, despite this, I honestly believe that we're only a few steps away from sending you home, young lady."

Stevie felt her heart skip a beat just as Pete's grip on her shoulder tightened. Missing the gesture, Artie straightened his glasses and grunted under his breath before wandering out of the office. Still noting Pete's strong hold on her shoulder, Stevie looked over at Myka and found a forlorn expression on the curly-haired agent's face.

"Myka," Stevie started softly.

"I was beginning to think that maybe it wasn't going to happen," Myka murmured with a sigh, her lips forming a soft pout. "We've gotten used to you being here, McFly. We love you. You're one of us."

Stevie drew her lower lip between her teeth as she reached a hand across the table to wrap her fingers around Myka's.

"I love you guys too," she said with a wavering smile. "I know Claudia told you that I had a moment, about going home, but here's the thing... as much as I love you guys here, I love you more in my own time. And there are other people there, who, even if I wanted to think otherwise, I can't live without."

Myka squeezed Stevie's fingers, but her little pout remained. Behind Stevie, Pete huffed out a sigh and then leaned down to kiss Stevie's temple.

"We're just really gonna miss you, kid," he rasped. Letting go of Myka's hand, Stevie rose from her seat and wrapped her arms around Pete's shoulders.

"Just think, sometime in the future you get to love me all over again," she smiled, and Pete's lips twitched in response as he fought a smile of his own. Patting Pete's cheek, Stevie turned and made her way towards the door towards the Warehouse floor. As she wandered away, she heard Pete let out a low whine, and Myka murmuring something soothing in reply, which was enough to keep the fond smirk on Stevie's face as she leaned against the balustrade of the mezzanine level. She stared out over the Warehouse floor; a scene so familiar to her, yet she'd been in the same spot so many times in her life that she could pick out the subtle differences between her time and the one she was in. It would be so easy to stay, but she'd meant what she'd said to Pete and Myka. She belonged where she came from, even if it tore her heart apart just a little. If she was asked, Stevie would be the first to acknowledge that leaving not just Steve, but the Claudia she'd come to adore, would be the hardest goodbyes of her life.


	15. Chapter 15

Stevie's heart was hammering in her chest. Everyone was staring at her, and while she couldn't blame them, a big part of her wished someone would at least blink. She cleared her throat uncomfortably, and glanced around her.

"Why are we in this aisle?" she asked unsurely. Artie, who was bustling around her and mumbling under his breath, looked up as if startled that Stevie had spoken.

"This is where Steve found you five weeks ago, isn't it?" he queried, cocking a bushy eyebrow expectantly. Stevie frowned as she flicked her eyes around the aisle.

"Well, yeah," she conceded in a small voice. "You think the location will help?"

"Yeah, come on, Artie," Claudia piped up from the end of the aisle, where she stood with Myka, Pete and Steve. "You've been making us pick up artifacts from all over the Warehouse all day, but you never bothered to explain what you're up to."

Artie paused long enough to shoot Claudia a bewildered look.

"I'm sorry, but are you not the same girl who has complained in every way possible any time I have ever tried to give you a lesson on artifacts?" he asked incredulously. Claudia opened her mouth as if to protest, and then shrugged her shoulders in minor defeat.

"Old man has a point," she quipped towards her co-workers. As Artie continued to arrange artifacts around her, Stevie took a moment to study the group gathered at the end of the aisle. Pete and Myka both stood with their arms folded, though Myka was gently leaning against Pete's shoulder. They both wore dejected expressions, like they'd come to terms with the situation ahead of them but were still unhappy with the outcome. Claudia was wide-eyed, her eyes on Artie as he bustled around, but Stevie was observant enough to see that she was nervously picking at the polish on her fingernails. Behind Claudia, Steve's facial expression was stoic as he leaned against a stack post. He was watching Stevie though, and there were indicators in his stance that he was ready to move to protect the tall blonde girl should there be any display that she was unhappy with what was going on around her.

"You've all had the chance to say your goodbyes," Artie spoke up as he turned Stevie's hand upward and placed a glass orb in her palm. "At least, I assume that was what you were doing while I was busy setting up some of these very heavy artifacts all on my own."

"I get in trouble when I touch things without permission," Pete commented dryly, earning a glare from the senior agent. Stevie huffed out a soft sigh. Artie was right of course; there had been reluctant hugs and tears and murmurs of well wishes from the members of the Warehouse family the moment they'd all realised that Artie was ready to attempt a reversal of Stevie's time travel adventure. Now Stevie stood in the middle of the aisle she'd arrived in, surrounded by a half a dozen artifacts that ranged from the glass orb in her hand to a large strobe light set up in front of her. Artie had clearly been plotting the set-up for a while, though it would take longer to ask him to explain the reasoning behind it than Stevie thought anyone present could possibly bear.

"And this connects, just here," Artie murmured as he looped a rope around Stevie's wrist, and then bent to pick up a cord that Stevie noted had a switch attached to the end of it.

"Is this going to hurt?" Stevie asked hesitantly, and Artie frowned at her in reply.

"What kind of man do you take me for? Of course it won't hurt." He paused for a second, and averted his eyes.

"And if it does hurt, you'll be far enough away that it won't be of any consequence to me," he mumbled under his breath, taking the cord and beginning to shuffle backwards.

"Wait, what?" Stevie yelped, but Artie had already joined the rest of the Warehouse agents at the end of the aisle. Stevie shot a panicked look at Steve, who had taken a step or two forward, but he was blocked by Artie's outstretched arm.

"Now, when I flip this switch, the artifacts are joined together in such a way that you should find yourself back where you came from in a matter of moments," Artie informed Stevie, his finger hovering over the button in question. "Brace yourself."

"Brace myself?" Stevie squeaked. "Artie, wait, I don't think..."

"Whoa, Artie, hold on..." Steve started at exactly the same time.

"Hey, old man, easy on the trigger finger!" Claudia chipped in, but Artie was already ploughing forward.

"Here we go!" he announced, emphatically pushing at the switch in his hand. A sudden flash filled the aisle, and Stevie let out another yelp as she stumbled backwards, barely keeping a hold on the glass orb in her hand. As the brightness threatened to blind her, Stevie squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, she had to squint against the bright spots that had formed in her vision. Blinking rapidly as she fought to get her focus back, Stevie realised that she could make out familiar faces at the end of aisle.

"Ugh, my eyes!" came Pete's voice, clearly complaining about the same blinding flash that had just occurred.

"What the hell was that?" Myka chimed in, her tone slightly hysterical.

"McFly?"

It was Steve's voice, of course, that was the indicator that despite all of the research, Artie's experiment hadn't gone to plan. Setting the glass orb on one of the shelves behind her, Stevie quickly unwound the rope that was tied around her wrist just as Steve reached her side. He reached out and took her face in his hands.

"Are you ok?" he asked gently, forehead wrinkled in concern. Stevie swallowed hard as the last of the blinking lights in the corners of her vision faded away.

"Yeah, I'm ok," she whispered. "Just, uh, you know, still here."

Steve chuffed out a laugh before he pulled her into his embrace, and Stevie buried her face against his shoulder, breathing in his distinctive and oddly calming scent. As her initial shock from the situation started to fade, Stevie also felt her heartbeat start to return to normal as she welcomed the safety of Steve's arms. She could also clearly hear Claudia berating Artie further up the aisle.

"You know what would have been really great, Artie?" the redhead snapped sarcastically. "A little warning that this experiment of yours might result in freakin blindness!"

"I was simply trying to get the girl home!" Artie yowled back at his apprentice. "Which I would like noted seems to be something that only I have been focused on trying to achieve!"

"You could have killed her!" Claudia raged on, waving her hand toward where Stevie was still leaning against Steve. "You should have said something!"

"She was never in any real danger!" Artie barked, and then towards Stevie with a stalwart expression, his tone softening. "I would never intentionally set out to hurt you, or anyone here. You do know that, right?"

"Of course I do," Stevie murmured acceptingly. "You were only trying to help, Artie. Thank you for trying."

"I'll keep trying," Artie assured her. "I can promise you that."

"If he doesn't kill you first," Claudia muttered under her breath, causing Artie to glare back at her.

"Claudia," Stevie spoke soothingly. "Cut Artie some slack. He's doing his best."

Claudia's shoulders slumped, and then she lunged towards Stevie, hugging her so tightly Stevie couldn't fight back her wince.

"I swear my heart actually stopped for a minute," Claudia mumbled against Stevie's shoulder. "I thought we'd lost you, kid."

Stevie took a moment to revel in Claudia's closeness, and her unbridled display of emotion. It was the kind of display of affection she'd always craved from her mother, and she wanted to remember every small detail just in case it all went away. She reluctantly pulled herself out of the embrace when Artie cleared his throat. Pete and Myka stood beside the senior agent. Myka looked perturbed, winding a strand of her hair around her finger, while Pete was still blinking rapidly, like he hadn't quite had his sight restored.

"Why don't you two take Miss McFly back to the office?" Artie suggested gruffly, nodding towards Steve and Claudia. "Myka and Pete can help me return these artifacts to their proper locations."

Pete let out a whine.

"First he blinds me, then he puts me into slave labour," he complained. "How is that fair?"

Myka placed the glass orb that Stevie had been holding into Pete's hands.

"I think you'll survive," she said dryly, already squatting down to tidy the mess of artifacts on the aisle floor. As Pete continued to whine, Steve put a hand on the small of Stevie's back, and flanked by Claudia, the trio turned and as suggested, began to make their way back to the office. There was small talk as they walked of finding Artie's secret stash of marshmallows and making hot chocolate, but eventually the conversation veered towards where Stevie had been expecting it to go.

"McFly, are you actually ok?" Steve asked gently. "This day didn't exactly go to plan."

"Lately, none of my days seem to be going to plan," Stevie quipped back at him, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards. Steve pursed his lips at her.

"Can we be serious, just for a moment?" he requested. Claudia reached over and tapped Steve on the elbow.

"Easy, Jinksy," she murmured soothingly. "Some people like to use humour to lighten a situation. You should try it some time."

"Not today, Claud," Steve rumbled back, and Claudia's face softened as she ducked around Stevie to press herself against Steve's side.

"Big teddy bear," she teased, looking up at him from under long lashes. Steve rolled his eyes at her, but then looked back at Stevie, who knew her smile had grown while she watched her parents interact.

"Tell him you're all right, McFly," Claudia drawled, poking Steve in the ribs. "He'll watch you like a hawk all day otherwise."

"I get the feeling he'll do that anyway," Stevie grinned, winking at Steve teasingly. "But yes, Steve, I'm ok. I guess, I'm, you know, maybe a bit disappointed? I thought that given the timeframe..."

"What's so important about the timeframe?" Claudia cut in, tiny frown lines forming on her forehead. They'd managed to walk as far as the bottom of the staircase that lead back to the office, and Stevie shrugged her shoulders as she tapped her fingers against the stair railing.

"Tomorrow's my birthday," she admitted sheepishly, biting down on her lower lip.

"Your birthday?" Claudia repeated loudly. "Wait, your birthday's Independence Day?"

"Yeah, I know, who's our little patriot?" Stevie quipped, rolling her eyes. "Like that's not something I haven't heard my entire life, thanks to Uncle Pete."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Claudia enthused, leading the way up the stairs. Stevie followed after her, but glanced back at Steve before she answered.

"Well, I don't even know what birthday it actually is," Stevie said with a slight whine. "I mean, I just had my birthday, and now with the time travel... am I twenty-one again? It's very confusing. I figured it was just easier to let it go."

"We should have a party!" Claudia declared, throwing open the office door.

"Claud, I think that's what she was trying to avoid," Steve pointed out as he brought up the rear. Throwing herself down in a chair, Claudia spun around and gave Stevie her best Bambi-eyed gaze.

"Not even a little get-together?" she asked, a puppy looking for a pat on the head. Stevie blew out a breath, glanced at Steve, and then winced as she shook her head apologetically.

"I try to avoid celebrating even in my own time," she murmured. "My mom..."

"Frack," Claudia breathed. "Anyone have a shoe horn, so I can pull my foot out of my mouth?"

"It's ok," Stevie said, keeping her voice light to try and defuse the situation. She settled herself down into a chair at the research table. Steve had followed her across the office, and he sat down beside her and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. Stevie smiled at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Relax, Dad," Stevie drawled. She was so comfortable that the word tumbled out of her mouth before she even thought about it. Steve's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open as he recoiled slightly, and Claudia's chair made a loud squeaking sound as she very quickly swung around.

"Dad?!" Claudia yelped. Stevie's stomach suddenly felt like lead, and she fought to try and keep her face neutral as she wracked her brain to come up with a suitable explanation for her slip of the tongue.

"I, uh, you know, Dad, Pops, old man," she stammered, staring at Claudia in slight panic. "You know, like you call him. You know what I mean, right?"

"Holy crap, girlfriend, you need to work on your delivery," Claudia gasped, gripping at her chest dramatically. "I could have sworn..."

"Sorry," Stevie murmured apologetically, and Claudia shook her head as she turned back to the computer, mumbling about heart attacks and being too young to die. Stevie risked directing a glance towards Steve, whose mouth had closed again, but he was still staring at her unblinkingly.

"It was just words, Steve," she stated, forcing playful enthusiasm into her tone. Steve frowned at her, and then slid a file across the table towards her.

"Sure, just words," he repeated softly, but he still looked and sounded like he didn't quite believe her. Stevie wondered if his lie detector radar was pinging. It wasn't a flat-out lie after all, even though she was still kicking herself for making the mistake in the first place. Stevie flipped open the folder in front of her, but as it turned out she didn't have to pretend to be engrossed for long. Claudia's computer started emitting a series of high-pitched beeps just as Artie returned to the office with Myka and Pete in tow, and the usual activity of the Warehouse resumed. For once in her life, Stevie had a reason to be thankful to the Warehouse for drawing attention away from her, and she tapped the table softly before scrambling to be of assistance.


	16. Chapter 16

"Hey, do you have a minute?"

Sprawled on her stomach on Pete's bed, Stevie hit the pause button on the DVD she was watching on Pete's flat screen TV before glancing over to the doorway, where she found Myka leaning against the doorframe. The Warehouse agent was staring at Stevie fondly, her lips curled into a half-smile as she toyed absently with a pendant that hung around her neck. Stevie rested her cheek on her hand.

"What's up, Myka?"

"I never got the chance yesterday, to ask how you were doing after the time travel experiment," Myka said gently. "What with the last minute run around in the Warehouse and all."

Stevie smiled as she sat up, tugging on the hem of her khaki shorts as she crossed her legs.

"You guys don't have to keep checking on me," she told Myka. "I really am fine."

"Well, all the same, I made you something, downstairs," Myka informed Stevie, nodding towards the staircase. "Can you come down to the kitchen?"

Feeling her cheeks flush, Stevie climbed off Pete's bed and padded across the room, following Myka down the hallway.

"You really didn't have to do anything," she murmured, bumping Myka with her shoulder as they descended the staircase. "I know everything's going to work out, we just need to take a minute to..."

"Surprise!"

On the threshold of the living room arch, Stevie took a startled step backwards as the inhabitants of Warehouse 13 all suddenly appeared in front of her, shouting enthusiastically and throwing paper streamers in the air. Struggling to catch her breath, Stevie managed to take in the decorations in the room; balloons and streamers, and a birthday banner stretched across the fireplace. On a table in the corner, a tower of cupcakes was surrounded by plates of snack food. Stevie's face went crimson.

"You guys!" she exclaimed in embarrassment. "What on Earth..."

Claudia skipped towards her, her most innocent smile plastered across her face. She reached for Stevie's hand.

"Don't be mad," Claudia begged, her eyes wide. "I know you said you didn't want a party, but I couldn't let you miss out on your own birthday. This is it, I promise, no other surprises."

Pressing into her memory the way that Claudia's hand felt in hers, Stevie cast her eyes around to look at all of her companions. Pete was helping himself to the contents of a bowl of chips, and even though Myka was chiding him, she was doing so with an amused smile on her face. Near the fireplace, Artie was settling himself down into an armchair, tucking a noisemaker into the pocket of his jacket before reaching for a book on the side table. Claudia rested her chin on Stevie's shoulder as they both looked towards Steve, who was leaning against the doorframe on the opposite side of the room, arms folded across his chest. Since Stevie's slip of the tongue the day before, Steve hadn't said a word to her, but he'd been watching her, brow slightly furrowed, like there was something he wanted to say but he wasn't quite sure how to deliver it.

"He did all of the decorations," Claudia murmured. "I only sent him out to get food, and he came back with the balloons, and confetti... he really wanted to make you happy, McFly."

Tears prickled at the back of Stevie's eyes, but before she had the chance to act, Pete was bouncing up and down in front of her, his excitement reflected in both his eyes and his enthusiastic grin.

"Present time!" he announced, grabbing Stevie's wrist and practically dragging her towards the couch. Stevie gaped at him in disbelief.

"Presents?" she gasped out. "When did you have time to get presents?"

"We didn't really," Myka admitted with a crooked smile. "But it's the thought that counts, right?"

"I still can't believe that you all did this," Stevie murmured, tugging on the end of her braid as she glanced around the room again, catching Steve's eye as she did so.

"Me first!" Pete declared, pulling an envelope out of his back pocket and presenting it to Stevie with a flourish. Giggling at his enthusiasm, Stevie prised the envelope open and then cocked her head at the contents.

"It's an order confirmation," she noted slowly, trying to not sound too confused. Pete nodded.

"You said you're a student at the University of Minnesota," he stated, "so I figured that I should start on my school spirit now. My team shirt and hoodie should arrive in the next week."

"Uncle Pete," Stevie murmured with an adoring smile, looking up at him with shining eyes. Pete grinned happily in reply.

"That's me."

"Happy birthday, McFly," Myka said as she handed Stevie a small package wrapped in black tissue paper. Shyly murmuring her thanks, Stevie attempted to unpick the tape gently before ripping into the paper, causing her companions to laugh as Stevie revealed the dark pink cotton tee she'd borrowed from Myka's closet when she had first arrived.

"You've worn that more than once since you got here," Myka said gently. "More than I have in the last year. I figured if you like it so much, it should be yours."

"I like it because it reminds me of you," Stevie told her. Myka's cheeks went pink with the compliment, and she diverted her pretty green eyes towards the floor. Claudia flopped down on the couch beside Stevie, pushing her gift into the blonde girl's hands. The present was wrapped in a torn magazine page.

"Had to improvise," Claudia quipped as Stevie giggled. Tearing the paper away, Stevie found a set of tiny silver earrings in the shape of bats, and a black guitar pick scored with a splattered silver design.

"You're already wearing my necklace," Claudia acknowledged with a nod. "I wanted you to have the earrings to match."

"Thank you," Stevie whispered, her voice cracking slightly. She picked up the guitar pick and twirled it between her fingers. Claudia leaned forward and closed her hand over Stevie's.

"I meant what I said that day in the kitchen, McFly," she said firmly. "Don't take no for an answer. Take this guitar pick, put it in my hand, and make me listen. I promise, I'll remember."

Stevie hiccupped softly, and drew in a shaky breath before nodding her head vehemently. The lump in her throat made it hard to form sentences, so she instead leaned forward and wrapped Claudia in a hug.

"One more," Steve murmured gruffly from behind them. Stevie eased away from Claudia, and looked up to find Steve holding out a small gift bag. Feeling her cheeks grow warm, Stevie rasped out her thanks as she took the handles of the bag between her fingers. She reached inside and removed a cheap plastic photo frame. The frame wasn't what was important though; it was the photograph it housed. Stevie drew her lower lip between her teeth as she traced her finger down the image. The photograph had been taken the day that Stevie had fallen asleep on Steve's lap on the very couch she was sitting on. In the picture, her eyes were closed, her face peaceful. Steve was looking down at her, a protective hand stroking through her hair. Swallowing hard, Stevie flipped the frame over and found Claudia's scratchy handwriting on the back of the photograph.

"Jinksy: The Next Generation," she murmured. Stevie looked up, flicking her gaze between Steve and Claudia, who were both watching her with affectionate smiles playing on their lips.

"Call me sentimental, but it was too cute a moment to let it go uncaptured," Claudia said, patting Steve's hand, which was resting on her shoulder. Stevie's heart was fluttering uncontrollably, which wasn't helped by the way Steve's crystal blue eyes studied her. Averting her gaze, Stevie instead looked towards Artie, who after a moment raised his bushy eyebrows at her.

"You think I got you something too?" he asked incredulously. "Don't think I don't know what money paid for those clothes on your back."

Next to Stevie, Claudia cleared her throat loudly and suddenly became very interested in pulling at the distressed edge of a hole in her jeans. Myka placed a hand over her mouth as she tried to hide a snicker, and Pete stuffed another handful of chips in his mouth. Artie rolled his eyes before nodding towards the table reluctantly.

"I paid for the cake," he finally offered up, and Stevie smiled bashfully at him. Artie huffed and puffed, but made no further comment. Claudia tilted her head towards the cake table.

"They're red velvet," she pointed out, indicating the cupcakes. "I remembered the way your eyes lit up when you saw them at the coffee house. They're your favourite, am I right?"

A faint ringing started in Stevie's ears, and her vision began to blur at the edges. Her stomach suddenly felt like lead. Pushing her gifts to the side, Stevie stumbled to her feet, mumbling something she was sure was incoherent and made her way somewhat blindly to the front door. Gasping for breath, she threw herself against the porch balustrade, her fingertips gripping into the flaking white paint on the railing. The ringing in her ears was building to a dull roar, and she felt like she might be sick. Stevie could feel the sobs building in the back of her throat, and her eyes were burning with tears that she was trying desperate to hold back. She was so caught up in her own emotions that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. She jumped a mile and whipped around when Steve spoke her name. Stevie could tell by his startled expression that her face must have reflected the turmoil in her head.

"McFly, what happened in there?" Steve asked gently, taking a careful step towards her. Stevie felt her face crumple.

"Five weeks," she whimpered. "It only took her five weeks to figure out what my favourite type of cake was. My mother couldn't figure it out for twenty-one years."

"Oh, sweetheart," Steve murmured, moving forward to wrap his arms around her. Stevie stayed prone for a moment, but overwhelmed by her emotions, she collapsed into him, and started to sob, her whole body heaving as she howled into Steve's shoulder. She balled her fists into his Henley, clinging on for dear life as she cried the way she'd wanted to since she'd arrived. Steve never moved, he just held her and made soothing noises and he rubbed a hand up and down her back. Stevie wasn't sure how, but her sobs eventually started to slow, and she tentatively uncurled her fingers and eased away from Steve's hold. Hiccupping, Stevie brought her hands up to her face to rub at her wet cheeks and running nose.

"Sorry about that," she rasped, nodding at the damp patch on Steve's shirt. Steve raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's the least of my concerns right now," he said flatly, holding out a hand. "Come on." Stevie's throat tightened. Inexplicably, she suddenly felt wary, like being near Steve was going to bring on a whole new world of worries. She nervously hooked her thumbs in her belt loops and looked back at him with trepidation. Huffing out a breath, Steve gave a small shake of his head before he turned and stepped lightly down the small set of steps that led down to the yard, and began walking around the side of the house. Swiping a hand under her nose, Stevie sighed and then, ignoring the leaden feeling in her stomach, followed after him. Steve had taken a seat on a wooden garden bench, and after hesitating for a moment, Stevie eventually sank down next to him. They were far enough away from the house that they could talk freely without the concern of anyone else hearing them.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" Steve asked softly, and Stevie pouted as she sniffled.

"No," she hiccupped. "Yes. God, I don't know, Steve! I'm so confused." She felt her lower lip start to tremble again.

"Hey, hey!" Steve exclaimed, reaching over to put a hand on her knee. "It's ok. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push. It's just... well, that was a full meltdown there, over cake of all things. I'm a little worried about your mental state right now."

"It's just not fair!" Stevie squeaked, screwing her face up in frustration. "Why is she so easy to talk to here? She's so open, and enthusiastic, and happy, for God's sake! She pays attention, and she notices everything. She threw me a birthday party! She's wonderful!"

"Are we talking about Claudia?" Steve asked, his brow wrinkled in confusion. "Because I know you two have really bonded while you've been here, but I don't understand why her knowing your favourite cake tipped you over the edge."

Stevie turned her face towards the sky, but she could already feel her body trembling as she fought to stop from crying again. When she looked back at Steve, a single tear escaped, sliding slowly down her cheek. Everything was bubbling to the surface, and she couldn't hold it back any longer.

"Claudia's my mom," she whispered. She watched as Steve's face slowly drained of colour.

"Say that again," he said dumbly, his eyes practically doubling in size as he gaped at her. Stevie hung her head, wishing that her hair was loose so that she could hide behind it. Instead, she was forced to stare down at her bare toes, which she curled into the grass before she returned her gaze to Steve.

"Claudia Donovan is my mother," she repeated slowly. "My cold, hard, distant mother, who has barely said two full sentences to me my entire life. She doesn't know my favourite colour, or movie, or my favourite type of cake. She doesn't even know my blood type. That's her; that's my mom. So now do you understand why I'm having such a hard time being here right now?"

Steve's mouth was slowly opening and closing, like he was trying to form sentences but couldn't quite get the words together. Feeling her chest constrict painfully, Stevie shook her head softly as she looked away, her sobs silent. When she lifted a hand to wipe the tears off of her cheek, strong fingers wrapped around her wrist. Stevie slowly turned her face back towards Steve.

"I'm sorry," Steve stammered, disbelief written all over his face. "I never thought... it didn't... I didn't..."

"Do you understand now?" Stevie whispered. "Do you understand why being here is both the best and worst experience of my life?"

Steve raked a hand over the top of his head, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

"I can't even imagine her like that," he rasped, a hint of disbelief in his tone. "My Claud is unbreakable. She feels everything, almost too intensely sometimes. There isn't anything or anyone in the world that can destroy her. No one..." He suddenly trailed off as he took in Stevie's wide eyed look.

"No," he breathed, dragging the word out a few syllables more than normal. "It's not possible..."

Stevie knew she was about to cry in a very ugly way. Her throat hurt from the sobbing, but she couldn't stop.

"I never lied to you, Steve," she whimpered unhappily. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. We are related. We're related, because..."

"Father," Steve cut in, his voice cracking. "I'm your father." He was staring in dumb shock, and, completely overwhelmed, Stevie burst into tears.

"I'm sorry!" she bawled. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm so stupid, I've ruined everything, and now I can't take it back, and I'm stuck here!"

Steve was still blinking at her, but other than that he was completely still. Stomach churning, Stevie scrambled blindly to her feet, desperate to get away, but before she'd even taken two steps a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her around again so that she once again found her face pressed against Steve's shoulder.

"I've got you," Steve murmured, rubbing a hand up and down her back as he rested his chin on her head. "I'm right here. You're not stupid. You're perfect. You're mine; my beautiful, perfect girl."

Stevie released a shuddering sigh before she pulled away, lowering herself back onto the bench as she tried to calm her breathing. She didn't look up when Steve sat down beside her, and continued staring at her feet even when he reached over and tucked a strand of hair that had escaped her braid behind her ear.

"So many questions," Steve mused, tracing a finger down Stevie's cheek. "When did this happen? And how? I can't even think..."

"It's a lot to take in," Stevie agreed, sniffling again as she looked over at him. "Pretty sure even I don't have all of the answers."

"And yet here you are," Steve smiled, and despite herself, Stevie felt her lips twitch in the beginnings of a bemused smirk. Steve continued to study her, like he wanted to etch her into his memory forever, but suddenly his brow furrowed. Stevie braced herself, fairly certain that she knew what was coming.

"You said that your dad left your mom," Steve said softly, and Stevie's heart sank. "I know that you weren't lying. But I don't understand. I would never leave Claudia, not for any reason, but especially not if I knew she was pregnant, with my child!"

"You didn't know," Stevie mumbled, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. Steve huffed out a breath as he leaned back against the bench.

"Then why?" he questioned. Stevie recognised the rhetoric in the words, but she answered him with a question of her own.

"Do you remember what I said about my name?" she asked softly, finally looking over at Steve.

"Sure," Steve said, frowning slightly. "You're named for someone. Someone who died... oh no."

Stevie held out a hand, like she was meeting him for the first time, and forced a smile onto her face.

"Hi," she said. "My name is Stevie. Stevie Faith Donovan-Jinks. I'm your daughter."

Steve genuinely looked like he was about to pass out. Stevie could sympathise.

"I think we have a lot to talk about," she murmured, resting her head on Steve's shoulder. Steve chuffed out a laugh before pressing a kiss to Stevie's temple.

"I can't wait."


	17. Chapter 17

"Ok, are your eyes closed?"

"Yes," Stevie giggled, wrinkling her nose in amusement. Steve's palm was pressed against her eyes, just like it had been since he'd practically dragged her down the front stairs and into the yard, claiming that he had a surprise for her. Steve had barely left her side since their big reveal the day before. The others had been surprisingly respectful of her space, even though Stevie knew they must have been desperate for answers. By the time she and Steve had come back inside after their talk, the birthday party had been tidied away, save for the banner over the fireplace, and her small pile of presents stacked neatly on the coffee table. Stevie and Steve both by that stage had eyes swollen from tears, and their throats were scratchy, but they'd snuck into the kitchen to find the red velvet cupcakes, and together they'd scooped up fingerfuls of cream cheese frosting, and savoured the rich crumb of the cake. Claudia had been lingering in the doorway of her own bedroom when Steve and Stevie had finally made their way upstairs, but Steve had waved her away when she'd opened her mouth to talk. The redhead had looked both disappointed and confused, but she'd accepted her best friend's gesture and slipped away. At breakfast, Pete and Myka had watched Stevie closely as she ate her cereal, and Pete had even started to ask a question, but Myka had none-too-subtly kicked him under the table, prompting a yelp from Pete that had caused Stevie to smirk despite herself. She'd barely finished her coffee when Steve, who had been sitting beside her the whole time, had taken her hand and had led her outside. Now, as far as Stevie knew, they stood somewhere near the boundary of the property, but she kept her eyes closed as Steve instructed. Her heart was doing a little dance in her chest, like it was about to explode from nervous excitement. Steve removed his hand, and Stevie felt him disappear from her side, but she resisted the urge to peek at whatever it was he was working on.

"Ok," Steve finally said, clearing his throat. "You can open your eyes."

Stevie's grin grew the moment she did as instructed. They were as she'd judged near the edge of the B&B's garden, and Steve stood next to a tree, his arm nervously resting on what had clearly been his project before Stevie had woken up that morning.

"You made a tyre swing?" she asked incredulously, toying with her necklace as she felt her cheeks grow warm. Steve was trying not to look embarrassed.

"Liv and I, we had one of these, when we were kids," he said roughly, like the words were sticking in his throat. "I suppose, I guess, that I always thought that if I was going to have kids, that I'd put one up in our yard too."

Smiling, Stevie stepped forward, and she ran her hand over the top of the tyre before agilely swinging both her legs through the hole so she could take a seat. She gave Steve, who was staring at her with complete adoration, a bemused look.

"Well, are you going to push me, or what?" Stevie teased, and beaming proudly, Steve stepped up behind her and obliged accordingly.

"Where did you find this?" Stevie asked, patting the tyre even as she savoured the fatherly gesture of Steve's strong hand on her back.

"Leena had it stored in the garden shed," Steve informed her, propelling her forward gently. "I've assumed that means it's not an artifact."

Stevie let out a surprised laugh, tilting her head back so that she could look at her father even as she swung back and forth. Steve rolled his eyes at her, his fond amusement evident. Giggling, Stevie crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're a goof, Stevie Faith," Steve murmured with a chuckle, and Stevie's spirits soared as she processed the fact that her father had just spoken her name out loud for the first time. Her happiness only grew when Steve gently asked her what her favourite colour was. They went back and forth for a while, like twenty questions, learning each other's tastes in movies, music, foods, and fields of study. Given Stevie's genetic heritage, Steve had difficulty processing his daughter's energetic athleticism, while Stevie in turn couldn't understand that Steve favoured both pineapple and olives as pizza toppings. They bantered for a while, laughing and joking, but eventually, as Stevie had suspected it would, the questions became more serious. Steve caught the swing on its backward descent and twisted it around so that the pair could face each other.

"Can I ask how it happened?" he questioned. "Me, and her, together, I mean?"

Stevie couldn't help but giggle at the concern in his eyes.

"You got drunk at a wedding," she chuckled, almost snorting when Steve's eyes went wide. "So totally cliché, and what a story for your poor kid to have to hear."

"I don't even know whose wedding we'd get drunk at," Steve breathed in disbelief. Stevie by this time had decided that she quite enjoyed the look of shock that Steve got whenever she revealed something unexpected to him, and she figured that if she was going to be stuck in the past, that there was probably no harm in spilling the plot to him.

"Pete's wedding," she grinned, her eyes sparkling, "to Myka."

Steve let go of the swing, and Stevie let out a peal of laughter as she swung backward and the tyre spun around in a slow circle. Using her feet to stop her trajectory, she climbed out of the tyre and sat herself neatly down on the grass, grinning up at Steve, who was blinking at her, dumbfounded.

"You can't possibly be serious," he said flatly, and Stevie gave him her sweetest smile.

"As a heart attack," she quipped. Steve sank down on the grass beside her, and Stevie giggled again as she threw a small twig at him.

"Don't tell me you can't see it," she commented. "They're crazy about each other."

"Pete drives Myka insane," Steve shot back, flicking at a speck of dirt on his jeans.

"He still does in the future," Stevie informed him with a smile. "But it's what makes them perfect for each other. Besides, Claudia drives you insane, and you still end up in bed with her."

Steve looked pained, but Stevie chucked under her breath as she shook her head at him.

"Come on, Steve, it's not like I don't know where babies come from," she pointed out, and even though Steve still looked uncomfortable, he leaned back on his hands.

"Wait, so Pete's son," he mused, "he's Myka's kid too?"

"Oh yeah," Stevie crooned, unable to restrain her smirk. "And believe me, nobody loves their baby boy the same way Myka Lattimer loves Miles. She's super protective. I mean, she loves all of her kids, but it's no secret who her favourite is." Stevie paused to laugh at Steve's dumbfounded look.

"They also have three daughters," she revealed, and Steve let out a low breath, but he was also smiling softly.

"I'm glad that you had a family to grow up with," he murmured, "even if it wasn't the one I'd wish for you."

"Yeah, well," Stevie couldn't help but pout, and she pulled at a few blades of grass as she avoided Steve's gaze. Steve leaned over and tilted her chin upwards with his fingers.

"You said I didn't know about you," he rumbled. "I'm sure, Stevie, that if I did..."

"No," Stevie shot back, shaking her head vehemently. "I know you, Steve. You would have done it anyway. You'd always do the right thing."

Steve pursed his lips uncomfortably as he cleared his throat.

"It's ok," Stevie told him with a soft smile. "Without you acting like a hero, there'd be no Myka, and no Miles, and I can't even begin to imagine a world without them."

Steve suddenly looked shy.

"You really miss him, don't you?" he rasped. "Miles, I mean."

"So much," Stevie found herself saying the words immediately, with absolutely no hesitation to think. "I honestly keep thinking about how much he must be freaking out about this whole situation, and it makes me feel sick." She paused to swallow against the lump that had formed in her throat.

"I am so lucky to get this opportunity to get to know you, Steve," she murmured thickly, "but I'd give anything to see my best friend again."

"Come here," Steve beckoned, lifting an arm so that Stevie could tuck herself in next to him. He used his free hand to smooth down her hair, and Stevie huffed out a despondent breath as she leaned into his warmth.

"Sorry to bring the mood down," she mumbled, pulling at the frayed hem of her shorts. She nodded towards the tyre swing.

"Thank you, for the surprise," she said to Steve, almost shyly. "You did good today. Very dad-like."

Steve cleared his throat. He looked nervous all of a sudden, which stirred Stevie's curiosity. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Steve?"

"Do you think you could..." Steve rasped, his voice cracking. "I mean, do you think... could you... do you think you could call me Dad?"

Stevie stared at him, her mouth slightly ajar, and watched as Steve's face went beet-red with embarrassment. There was silence, save for the slight rustling of the wind through the leaves of the tree beside them. Somewhere beyond the yard, a bird trilled a three-note song. When Stevie still didn't respond, Steve made to move away, murmuring apologies and making excuses to go. Stevie shot out a hand to wrap her fingers around his. She looked up at him, her eyes shining.

"Daddy," she whispered, her lips curling into a shy smile. Standing above her, Steve's entire face lit up as he processed what she'd said, and then he was suddenly reaching down to pull Stevie from the ground and into his embrace.

"Sweetheart," he breathed, squeezing her tightly before leaning back slightly so that he could gently cup her face in his hands. "My perfect girl."

Stevie leaned into his touch, and felt a blush creep across her cheeks as she inhaled deeply, her heart skipping a beat before she spoke her next words.

"I love you, Daddy."

"Oh, sweetheart," Steve exhaled, his eyes brimming with tears that threatened to spill over. "I love you, so much. And I am so, so sorry, that I wasn't there for you when you were growing up. I don't think I'll ever be able to apologise enough."

Stevie shook her head as she leaned into him again.

"This is enough," she mumbled against his chest. "This, right here, right now; this is enough."

"I love you," Steve repeated, giving her another tight hug. Stevie hummed contentedly when she finally released herself from his hold, and then gave him a teasing grin as she glanced towards the tyre swing.

"I always wanted a tree house when I was a kid," she said with the hint of a giggle, watching as Steve's lips twitched into the beginnings of an amused smirk. "Myka wouldn't let us because she thought we'd fall and break our necks. How're your building skills?"

"I think you severely overestimate me," Steve laughed. "I really hope I don't disappoint you."

Stevie blushed as she gazed at him fondly, studying every similarity she shared with him and feeling her heart swell with pride.

"Not possible," she murmured. "I've got the best dad in the world."


	18. Chapter 18

Claudia looked poised to throw a tantrum, and Stevie couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh, or run in fear. The fiery redhead stood in the doorway of the Warehouse office, her foot tapping the ground and her arms folded across her chest. Myka and Pete had gone on the mail collection run to Featherhead earlier that day, leaving Stevie with Claudia and Steve on office duty. While Claudia had spent the morning tapping at buttons and grunting at computer screens, Stevie and Steve had sat at the research table. There was some feigned intention of sorting index cards, but their focus very quickly shifted to games of hangman and tic-tac-toe, both of them snickering and giggling as they played together. Occasionally, usually when one of them let out a particularly loud laugh, Claudia would clear her throat or smack her keyboard, and Steve and Stevie would go quiet for a moment like naughty schoolchildren, but it would only last as long as it took the first one of them to pull a stupid face or draw up a new game. They were still playing when Artie, who had been holed up in his alcove rooms, plodded down the spiral staircase and announced that he would very much like a large vanilla latte, pointedly staring at Steve as he did so. Rolling his eyes, Steve rose from his seat, already pulling his car keys out of his pocket. Stevie made to follow him, which was when Claudia let out a protesting yelp and threw herself in front of the exit.

"No way!" she barked, glaring at Steve. "You've had her for like three days now. It's my turn!"

"Claud, she's not a toy," Steve pointed out, glancing towards Stevie, who had settled on laughter over fear and was therefore trying to hide her amused smirk. Claudia sneered at Steve.

"You're hogging her," she snapped. "You have to share."

Stevie placed a reassuring hand on Steve's arm and offered him an amused smirk.

"Caramel macchiato?" she requested, putting on her puppy dog eyes. Scoffing, Steve raised an eyebrow towards Claudia.

"I assume you want your usual," he commented, and Claudia sniffed at him.

"Make sure they put extra chocolate sprinkles on," she said flatly. "They always stiff me for some reason."

Steve was already chuckling under his breath as he leaned over and kissed Stevie on the forehead, and he offered the same gentle gesture to Claudia as he edged around her to leave the office. Still scowling, Claudia watched him go, and then turned back to Stevie, her eyebrows raised.

"You and me, we need to talk," Claudia stated, and Stevie felt her smile falter slightly.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked hesitantly. Claudia wrinkled her nose as she wandered back to her desk chair and sat down, swinging one boot-clad foot out in front of her.

"What's going on with you and Jinksy?" she questioned, her enquiry tinged with a hint of concern. Stevie blinked back at her.

"Excuse me?"

"The past few days," Claudia murmured uneasily, "you two seem to have gotten pretty close. All of the hugs, and the forehead kissing, and the way he watches every move you make..."

Stevie felt her heart skip a beat, and she let out a cough of surprise.

"Claudia, I think you've got your wires crossed," she stammered, but Claudia kept talking.

"McFly, you guys are related!" she blurted out. "You might be from another time, but it's still weird!"

"Ha, ha ha, oh my God, whoa!" Stevie choked out, putting up one of her hands in a stop gesture as her eyes went wide. "Claudia, whatever it is you think is happening, it's not the case at all! You said it yourself, Steve and I, we're related. I don't know if you've forgotten, or if you're just a little caught up, but neither Steve or I have much in the way of family left. We're bonding, because we're Jinks's. That's all it is, I swear."

Claudia was squinting back at her, her expression conveying that she wasn't quite convinced.

"Really?" she questioned slowly. "That's all it is? You wouldn't lie to me about this?"

"Not about this," Stevie affirmed reassuringly. "We're just enjoying getting to know each other. I don't have to tell you just how special he is."

Pursing her lips, Claudia stared Stevie down for a moment before she blew out a breath and let her shoulders slump.

"Guess I can't argue with that," she conceded. Stevie cracked a half-smile which faltered when Claudia narrowed her eyes again.

"Just remember, he was mine first," she stated. Her tone was light, indicating that her intent was to be seen as delivering a joke, but there was a warning look on her face that caused Stevie to inhale sharply and take a half-step backwards. When Claudia turned back to her computer, Stevie tentatively leaned back against a desk, curling her fingers around the wooden edge as her mind spun. The more she thought about it, it didn't surprise her, but at the same time, it had never really occurred to Stevie that Claudia would be jealous of someone else forming a close relationship with Steve. It made her wonder if the same would have occurred had Steve lived in the future; if instead of the happy family Stevie had always pictured, she might have spent her life competing with her mother for Steve's affection. Wrinkling her nose, Stevie pushed the thought out of her mind, not wanting to dwell on sad maybes when she had the real, happy, deal right in front of her. Twisting a strand of hair around her finger, Stevie watched as Claudia pushed herself off her chair and reached over to gather up a pair of clipboards. She shot Stevie a rueful smirk.

"Inventory has kinda slipped by the wayside since you turned up, McFly," Claudia quipped, holding out a clipboard. "Artie wants a full check and rotation done on a few aisles, and we drew the short straw."

"You mean you drew the short straw," Stevie smiled, and Claudia rolled her eyes.

"I always draw the short straw," she muttered snarkily, nodding towards the office door that lead to the Warehouse floor. "Come on, kid, I could use the company."

Sticking her tongue out good-naturedly at the redhead, Stevie snickered and then followed after Claudia as they left the office and made their way out to the Warehouse. Their awkward moment passed, the pair fell into easy chatter as they worked, the topic of conversation veering wildly from the artifacts in front of them, to Myka and Pete, to movies and music, and if then if tacos were better with or without guacamole. They'd even started singing a cappella versions of some of Claudia's favourite songs, and Claudia had laughed hysterically at Stevie's inadvertent variations to the lyrics. Giggling even as she blushed, Stevie ran her hand over the shelf in front of her, disturbing a fine layer of dust. Claudia wrinkled her nose and then sneezed.

"I need to talk to Fargo about inventing cleaning robots," she mumbled offhandedly. "This place is so big that even if we started at one end, by the time we got to the other, we'd need to start all over again."

"I bet you could find any artifact in the Warehouse if you wanted to," Stevie offered with a smile, and Claudia scoffed in reply.

"I may be a Girl Wonder, but I'm not that brilliant," she quipped. "Maybe one day, if and when the Caretaker duties kick in, but for now, I just get to do inventory, again, and again," she paused to sigh, "and again."

Stevie chuckled at Claudia's annoyed melancholy.

"If it makes you feel any better, inventory is like the only thing Myka actually willing lets us kids do," she said. "Though I'll bet that'll change now, seeing as though it's what I was doing when I ended up here."

"Oooo, maybe I can tell Artie that inventory is too dangerous to do alone!" Claudia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. Smiling in amusement, Stevie was about to quip something back when she swept her gaze along the shelf, and what she saw made her stop short. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she suddenly felt a little breathless.

"Uh, McFly, are you ok?" Claudia asked cautiously, sidling up to the tall blonde girl. Stevie inhaled sharply, and then turned to Claudia and offered her a wobbly smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and feeling her heart and stomach constrict a little as she took in Claudia's concerned gaze. If the thought she'd just had had any merit, Stevie was about to go back to wishing Claudia looked at her just like she was in that moment. She swallowed hard and took a step back.

"I just remembered that I said I'd help Artie with something," Stevie said softly, the lie hurting more than it should have. "Will you be ok down here?"

Claudia raised an eyebrow at her.

"I practically live down here," she quipped. "I'm good, kid."

Nodding, Stevie turned to walk back to the office, but she'd only taken a few steps when she turned again and practically flung herself at Claudia, wrapping her in a tight hug that after a moment caused Claudia to let out a low whimper.

"Can't breathe," the redhead whined, and Stevie sniffed as she reluctantly pulled back from the embrace.

"What was that for?" Claudia asked, patting at her hair while raising an eyebrow curiously. Stevie blushed.

"Just in case you forgot that I think you're special too," she murmured bashfully, watching as Claudia's cheeks went scarlet.

"Oh don't get all mushy on me now," Claudia mumbled. "Get outta here. Oh, and if Steve's back, can you send him down here with my coffee?"

Giving Claudia a shy smile, Stevie nodded her head and then finally left the aisle. Her stomach was threatening to twist up in knots, and she wasn't sure if it was because she was excited, relieved, or maybe even upset. She was trying not to over-process her thoughts until she had the opportunity to speak to Artie; after all, it was simply an idea that had been sparked in her head, and she had no real clue if it would work. Taking the stairs back to the office two at a time, Stevie discovered that Steve had indeed returned from his errand run, and she smiled gratefully at him as he pressed her coffee into her hands.

"Claudia demands delivery," Stevie smirked, giving him the coordinates for the aisle she'd left the redhead in. Muttering good-naturedly about his best friend and her expectations, Steve collected the tray of takeaway cups and the bag of donuts he'd picked up, and went on his way, leaving Stevie with a muffin and Artie's ordered latte. Stevie took a long sip of her macchiato before she steeled herself and ascended the spiral staircase. Artie was settled at a desk, penciling down notes as he paged through a book, but he looked up at the sound of Stevie's footsteps, and grunted at her arrival.

"Did Steve drive all the way to Colorado for that?" he muttered, nonetheless accepting the coffee that Stevie hesitantly held out. Stevie waited for Artie to settle himself back down before she perched herself on a padded foot stool, tapping awkwardly on the lid of her own coffee cup. Sipping at his latte, Artie raised a bushy eyebrow at her.

"Something I can help you with, Miss McFly?" he asked gruffly, sliding his glasses down his nose. Stevie winced nervously.

"I, um," she stammered slightly. "Artie, I think I might have figured it out."

"Figured out what, exactly?" Artie responded, and Stevie swallowed hard.

"I think I know how to get home," she said, her voice small. Artie set down his coffee cup, his gruff face softening. Stevie knew that she'd made herself small as well, her shoulders curled in and her knees tucked up as she looked up at the grandfatherly figure of the Warehouse.

"Well then," Artie rumbled, turning to face her more fully, "I suppose I should hear this."

Her heart pounding, Stevie took another reassuring sip of her coffee, pulled her shoulders back, and after exhaling loudly, she began to speak. As she explained herself to Artie, she watched his expression change, and it was clear to her even before he said it that Artie was at the very least open to the possibility of her idea having some merit. Suddenly, it seemed startling close to reality that Stevie might be going back to her own time after all.


	19. Chapter 19

There was a dubious expression on Pete's face.

"I don't see how this is gonna work," he commented, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced around the backyard of the B&B. Stevie grinned teasingly at him.

"Aw, come on, Pete!" she exclaimed. "It's three on three. Guys versus girls!"

"Our third guy drinks out of the toilet!" Pete shot back, looking to his left. As if he knew he was being talked about, Trailer let out a sharp bark, and then sat and wagged his tail enthusiastically. Stevie couldn't help but giggle in amusement. Artie had asked for a few days to carry out some checks to verify Stevie's theory on her way back home, so Stevie had decided to take the opportunity to create as many memories as she could with the agents she'd come to love more than she ever knew possible. She chose the morning to go out running with Myka, and while they ran they talked about books, and history, and how the Warehouse had become Myka's happiest place in the world without her even realising it. Stevie took great pleasure in assuring Myka that thanks to her love and dedication, the Warehouse would become a happy place for a whole new generation, and Myka's thrilled expression had warmed Stevie through even more than the exertion of their exercise. After they returned to the B&B, remembering just how much Pete loved to play in the future, Stevie rallied the troops for a game of flag football in the yard, which was where they now stood; Claudia, Myka and Stevie lined up together, facing Steve, Pete and Trailer. Pete, however, was clearly having an issue with the team allocation. Claudia snorted at his protest.

"At least Trailer knows the rules," she pointed out. "We have Myka."

"Hey!" Myka shouted indignantly, frowning towards Claudia. "I know how to play!"

"What's it called when somebody scores?" Claudia asked, raising an eyebrow. Myka quickly opened her mouth to answer, paused for a moment, made a soft croaking noise, and then closed her mouth again as her cheeks went red.

"Ok, fine, you made your point," she muttered, folding her arms over her chest and kicking at the ground with her toe. Her fellow agents were trying unsuccessfully to hide their snickers. Stevie rested her chin on Myka's shoulder and raised her eyebrows at Pete.

"Can we play now?"

Pete twitched his nose, but he couldn't stop his trademark dopey grin from forming on his face.

"Let's do this thing!" he declared, clapping his hands together and then nodding towards Steve so that they could confer. Claudia likewise pulled Myka and Stevie towards her.

"Why are we huddling?" Myka asked, and Stevie chuffed out a laugh, more because even in the future, Myka would never get any better at family football. Beside her, Claudia rolled her eyes.

"McFly and I are gonna run this," the redhead advised. "Myka, your job is to keep Pete distracted, ok?"

"Are you planning a mani-pedi session over there?" Pete taunted, interrupting their huddle. Stevie gave him a sly look as the girls lined up against the boys.

"Keep talking, Lattimer," she drawled, picking up the football off the ground. Behind her, Claudia called her move, and they started to play. The game itself quickly descended into chaos; Myka somehow got a hold of the ball and immediately ran the wrong way, Claudia kept tackling Steve despite the fact that the game was meant to be touch only, and then Trailer intercepted a pass and the whole crew spent fifteen minutes engaged in what the dog clearly thought was a spirited game of fetch. Finally catching the dog, a flush-faced Stevie pressed the ball into Pete's hands. She noted happily that Pete's eyes were shining with joy.

"One more for the win," she grinned.

"Do we even know the score anymore?" Steve asked, lifting the bottom of his shirt to wipe off his forehead. Stevie was quick enough to see Claudia raise her eyebrows appreciatively at Steve's suddenly exposed abs.

"What score?" Myka coughed out, brushing dog hair off of her yoga pants. "Even I know that no one has actually scored."

"Hence, one more," Stevie smiled, squatting down in front of Pete, who grinned back and took up a similar position. Steve called for the ball, and the group suddenly all took off. Stevie lunged for Trailer, who barked excitedly and dodged between her legs, and the tall blonde hit the ground, laughing all the while. There were similar noises echoing across the yard, and when Stevie rolled over, pushing her hair out of her eyes, her heart almost exploded at the cuteness of the scene in front of her. Pete had his arms wrapped around Myka's waist, practically lifting her into the air as she attempted to escape. Despite her wriggling, Myka looked elated, cackling as she gripped her fingers into Pete's wrists. Steve, who still held the football, also had Claudia firmly attached to his back like some kind of spider monkey. Claudia was squealing in delight as Steve spun around in playful circles. Watching them, Stevie felt what she realised was a sense of relief settle in her gut. Deep down, ever since she'd told Steve about how she'd come into existence, she'd worried that the revelation would affect the way Steve treated Claudia. It was, after all, a lot to process given their current relationship status, but seeing how Steve looked at Claudia with fixed adoration was more than enough to put Stevie's mind at ease. Pushing herself to her feet, Stevie dusted the grass off of her knees and was about to attend to helping Myka free herself from Pete's grasp when Artie drove his shiny red convertible up the driveway. The portly senior agent exited the vehicle with a practiced agility, unclipping his sunglasses from his regular frames as he walked towards the gallivanting group.

"It's so reassuring to find my team of world-saving agents acting like children," Artie quipped, reaching down to pat Trailer on the head.

"All work and no play, Artie," Pete shot back, giving his partner one final squeeze before letting her go. Stevie saw Myka's cheeks flush as the brunette reached up to adjust her loosened hair tie. Claudia clamoured off of Steve's back, triumphantly smacking the football out of his hands as she went.

"What's up, old man?" the redhead asked, sauntering over to Stevie and casually slinging an arm around her shoulders. "We got a ping?"

"Well, no, actually," Artie said, still scratching Trailer's ears absently. "I came to talk to Miss McFly."

Stevie felt her stomach tighten slightly. The agents around her looked curious, with the exception of Steve, would seemed to sense that Artie wasn't paying a casual visit, and therefore wore an expression of forlorn worry.

"What's going on, Artie?" Pete enquired. Artie looked towards Stevie.

"My checks all look good," he reported. "I believe that there's no danger in at least attempting to use the artifact to send you back to your own time."

Squawks and soft gasps were let out all around Stevie, and the blonde felt Claudia's fingers tighten against her shoulder.

"What?" Claudia bit out. Stevie shot Artie a look that was part pained and part dirty. Artie, for once in his life, flinched.

"You hadn't told them," he observed.

"Clearly," Stevie deadpanned, huffing out a sigh as she tried to avoid Steve's gaze. "Artie, I need another day, if that's a possibility at all."

"Well, funnily enough, so do I," Artie replied, giving her a dry smirk. "That also fits in well with dates, if I may point that out. Two days from now, it will be the exact date that you left the future, which to me seems as good a time as any to make this work."

"Thanks," Stevie murmured, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. Artie glanced toward the B&B.

"Yes, well, if anyone needs me, I'll be in the kitchen," he announced to no one in particular before striding off towards the building, Trailer trotting away beside him. Claudia let go of Stevie's shoulders and rounded on her.

"You're really going," she stated, and, startled, Stevie looked up. She'd expected Claudia to be mad, but there was only defeat and unhappiness in her tone. Caught by surprise, Stevie felt tears start to prickle at the back of her eyes.

"You know I have to," she murmured. "I just didn't want to tell you until I'd had the chance to give you all one last good memory of me."

"So, today was for us," Myka said softly, linking her arm through Pete's. "And tomorrow..."

"For me and Claud," Steve finished. Stevie nodded as she sighed again.

"Well, thank you for my great memory," Pete piped up. His eyes were sad, but the smile on his face was genuine. "You've inspired me to make sure that backyard family football becomes a tradition one day."

"Just so you know, I expect to be blown away," Claudia cracked, a smirk dancing on her lips. "I want the best memory ever."

"No pressure," Stevie wheezed, a smile of her own beginning to form. Claudia's cheeks coloured, but she shifted her focus towards the B&B.

"I'm gonna go and make sure that Artie doesn't completely clean us out of cookies," she commented, and Pete let out a yelp as he hurried after her. Laughing, Myka brought up the rear. Stevie was about to follow after them when Steve walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he rested his chin on top of her head. She couldn't see his face, but Stevie could feel the unhappiness radiating off of him.

"How selfish would it be if I said that I don't want you to go?" Steve asked, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through her. "I just got you, Stevie Faith. Letting you leave, knowing that I won't ever get the chance again..."

"Need I remind you, it wasn't all that long ago that both you and Claudia were telling me how important it was for me to want to find a way home," Stevie commented, trailing the toe of her sneaker along the ground.

"To be fair, I wasn't exactly clued in to our relationship at that point," Steve murmured, and Stevie huffed out a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a sigh.

"We just have to make every moment we have left count," Stevie told Steve firmly, wrapping her fingers around his wrists. She could feel a tear edging it's way slowly down her cheek. "Believe me, it hurts me as much as it does you."

Steve hummed as he began shuffling them both slowly forward.

"Teach me how to make oatmeal scotchies tomorrow," he requested. "So that someone can keep the recipe alive. Otherwise the cookies that Artie's currently consuming might be the last ones any of us ever lays eyes on."

Laughing despite herself, Stevie squirmed out of his hold so that she could tuck herself under his arm. Steve was warm, both inside and out, and Stevie tucked this memory in with all of the other facts that she'd come to file away as reasons why she now understood how Claudia could miss one person so much that she'd locked her emotions away. From the moment she'd laid eyes on him, Stevie had thought over and over again that Steve was going to be one of her hardest goodbyes, but now that she knew him the way that she did, she was also sure he would always be one of her favourite memories.

* * *

As requested, they spent the next morning baking, preparing a stack of cookies so high that Stevie hoped they would at least last a few days after she was gone. Steve had attentively noted every measurement of each ingredient, checking times and temperatures to ensure he had the recipe completely correct. Stevie could only work on the assumption that Steve would ultimately pass the recipe on to Myka, who was the one that would teach her future self the secret of oatmeal scotchies. After they were done sneakily eating the last of the raw mixture, which Stevie honestly swore was the best part of making cookies, the pair loaded up the dishwasher and then headed back out to the yard to play on the tyre swing.

"I never did get my tree house," Stevie teased, climbing up onto the top of the tyre and gripping the rope as she propelled herself forward. Steve rolled his eyes at her.

"You get your sass from your mother," he commented.

"The more I know, the more I like to think it's an inheritance from Aunt Olivia," Stevie said, watching as a warm smile spread across her father's features.

"Yeah, well, there is that," he chuckled, catching the tyre so that it eased to a stop. Stevie climbed down and then lowered herself onto the blanket they'd brought out to the yard with them. This was all she'd really wanted to do with Steve; this was the last opportunity they'd ever have to just talk.

"Dad," Stevie murmured. Steve's face lit up.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you say that," he rasped, sitting down beside her. Stevie laid back, shielding her eyes against the sunlight that danced through the branches of the tree they were under.

"Tell me everything," Stevie requested. "Tell me every little story that I would only get the chance to hear if you were around while I was growing up. I want to know everything, Dad."

"Sweetheart, we don't have time for everything," Steve pointed out, and Stevie huffed out a breath as she glanced over at him.

"We can try," she murmured softly. Steve rolled his shoulders as he looked upwards for a moment, and then he smiled gently at his daughter.

"There was this one time, back when I was still in high school," he started, and Stevie felt a happy smile creep across her features as she closed her eyes and just listened to her father speak. They bounced stories back and forth for hours; talking, laughing, and sometimes crying. At some point they migrated back to the swing; first Steve wedged himself into the tyre and demanded to be pushed, and then they swapped back to their usual positions. Steve was recounting his first day as an ATF agent when he paused mid-story and snorted in amusement.

"She's been watching for the last half an hour," he commented with a chuckle. "Patience is not one of Claudia Donovan's virtues."

Already smirking, Stevie looked towards the B&B on her upwards trajectory and caught sight of Claudia sitting in her bedroom window. She held her guitar in her hands, but it was clearly a cover for her spying on the pair below. After letting Steve give her one last push, Stevie dragged the heels of her shoes into the ground to bring herself to a stop. Twisting around, she rested her chin on the top of the tyre and looked up at Steve, her crystal blue eyes wide with expectation.

"Promise me you'll take care of her," she requested softly. "When I'm gone, I mean. You'll look after Claudia, right?"

"In case you haven't noticed, looking after Claudia is kind of my job," Steve cracked, his lips curling in a half-smile. Stevie blew out a breath.

"Steve, what I told you..." she murmured.

"Doesn't change anything," Steve cut in firmly. "I love Claudia, Stevie, and if anything, what you told me only makes me love her more, because now I know, she gives me you."

Stevie felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Dad," she murmured bashfully. Steve lifted a hand and ran a finger over Stevie's eyebrow, brushing away a loose strand of her cornsilk hair.

"My perfect girl," he said throatily, his eyes reflecting his pride. Humming softly, Stevie hauled herself out of the tyre swing and absently dusted off the seat of her pants. She nodded towards the B&B.

"I should go and see her, before she falls out of the window or something," Stevie quipped, and Steve laughed gently as he ducked around the swing and wrapped Stevie in a tight hug.

"I'm really proud to be your father, Stevie Faith," Steve murmured. "You have a beautiful heart."

Stevie sighed against his shoulder and reluctantly loosed herself from Steve's hold. She gave him a torn look.

"Go," Steve grinned, his amusement evident. "She'll start accusing me of hogging you again, and I've witnessed the wrath of Claud firsthand."

Giggling, Stevie shyly tucked her hair behind her ears and then turned and made her way towards the B&B. Taking the stairs two at a time, she quickly ducked into her bedroom to run a brush through her hair before she put herself in Claudia's doorway and knocked on the frame of the open door. Claudia looked up from where she was strumming lightly on her guitar.

"Oh, hey girl," she drawled casually, shaking her head to flick her bangs out of her eyes. "You looking for me?"

"Don't act like you're surprised to see me," Stevie chuckled, leaning against the doorframe. "Are you ready to go?"

"We're going somewhere?" Claudia asked, raising her eyebrows as she unfolded her legs.

"Just to Univille," Stevie told her, and then cleared her throat when Claudia made to rest her guitar on a nearby stand. "You're going to need that. Pack her up. We're going on a ride."


	20. Chapter 20

"Girlfriend, your constant need for coffee is actually a concern," Claudia drawled as Stevie pulled their car up in front of the Univille coffee house. Steve had already given Stevie permission to take his Prius, but Claudia had been delighted in the thought that they had hijacked the vehicle, so Stevie had let her run with the theory. The drive from the B&B had been full of giggles and Claudia sending ransom text messages to Steve, and Stevie continued to smile as she parked the Prius and climbed out of the car. Claudia followed, retrieving her guitar out of the backseat. She looked over at Stevie as they stood together on the curb.

"Wanna let me know what we're doing here?" Claudia asked, squinting in the late afternoon sun. Stevie stuck her hands in her pockets.

"Well first, we caffeinate," the blonde smiled in amusement as Claudia chuckled beside her. "But then, you and I are going to play a set."

Claudia cocked an eyebrow curiously as she turned her head in Stevie's direction.

"Oh, are we now?"

"Come on, Claud, it's not like you haven't done it before," Stevie laughed, bumping her with her shoulder. Claudia looked perturbed, pursing her lips before she huffed out a breath.

"I normally like a little more notice," she muttered.

"Hence, coffee first," Stevie chirped, giving Claudia her best puppy dog eyes. "You said you wanted the best memory ever. You can't tell me that this won't be memorable."

"Yeah, when I have a panic attack on stage," Claudia mumbled under her breath, nonetheless allowing Stevie to loop an arm around hers and lead her into the coffee house, where they ordered large lattes and settled into mismatched chairs around a slightly wobbly table.

"I thought you liked performing," Stevie enquired, watching with a slightly raised eyebrow as Claudia dumped a disturbingly large amount of sugar into her coffee. "You're always singing at the B&B."

"Yeah, in my room, where nobody should be listening," Claudia shot back, stirring her drink vigorously before taking a sip. "There's no judging in the B they're my family. Why are you so cool about putting yourself on show?"

Stevie took a mouthful of her own latte before wrapping her hands around the mug.

"Cheerleading," she stated. "We perform in front of packed football stadiums in tiny skirts and crop tops all the time. Not to mention the competitions. We went to state championships twice when I was in high school, and all the way to nationals my freshman year in college. When it comes to crowds, I tend to show off on instinct."

"Confidence, thy name is Lattimer," Claudia quipped, looking at Stevie from behind her bangs. "You sure you're not Pete's kid?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Stevie said with a chuckle. "But, you know, the man had a big hand in raising me. I only became a cheerleader because there wasn't really an option to play football myself. But I really do love it. I'm going to be a coach after graduation. My old high school has already offered me a position."

"Well, well, aren't we accomplished," Claudia teased, sipping at her latte.

"I try to keep busy," Stevie murmured, feeling her chest constrict tightly for a moment as she averted her gaze. As if sensing the fine line they were toeing, Claudia cleared her throat uncomfortably, and tapped her foot against the base of the table. Stevie brought her latte back up to her lips and drew in a mouthful, watching Claudia carefully.

"So this is our audience," Claudia commented, looking around. Including the barista, there were barely fifteen people in the coffee house, and most of them were engrossed in tablets or books or their own conversations.

"Yeah, real tough crowd," Stevie deadpanned back, sliding her chair backwards and getting to her feet. "Come on, Donovan, time to show me that rock star attitude."

Stevie could have sworn she heard Claudia let out a tiny whine, but nonetheless the redhead grabbed the handle of her guitar case and followed Stevie to the small ramshackle stage set up at the back of the coffee house. The stage was really no more than a couple of pallets in front of a white patterned curtain and some fairy lights, with a few stools and microphone stands haphazardly perched nearby. As Claudia opened her guitar case and slung the strap of the instrument over her shoulder, Stevie shifted two of the stools into position and set up a couple of microphone stands. Claudia gave her a concerned look.

"How do you want to do this?" she asked unsurely. "It's not like we rehearsed..."

Stevie settled herself onto a stool and gave Claudia an amused smirk.

"For one, you need to get up here," Stevie instructed, pointing to the empty stool beside her. "You play, and I'll join in. It'll be fine, I promise."

Looking unconvinced, Claudia finally climbed up on stage, clearing her throat as she tapped on the microphone in front of her. Some of the coffee house customers looked up in mild curiosity, but most of them returned to their conversations and reading just as quickly, and Stevie chuckled under her breath.

"We're a little unprepared, so play nice, ok?" Claudia murmured into the microphone by way of introduction, and then picked out a few notes on her guitar before launching into her first song. Stevie noted with immense pride that within a minute of Claudia beginning to sing, several people turned their attention towards the stage, lowering their phones to their tables as they watched the performance unfold. When Stevie leaned towards her own microphone and offered up accompanying backing vocals, Claudia glanced towards her, her whole face lighting up with happiness. They worked their way through a few songs that varied drastically in range, smiling and chuckling when one of them missed a note or a cue, and then Claudia strummed out a few chords and looked over at Stevie.

"You wanna take the lead on this one?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow slightly. "I know you know it."

Stevie did know the song, and she felt her chest tighten slightly as she considered the lyrics, but she nodded nonetheless before wrapping a hand around the microphone in front of her.

"I wanted to be like you, I wanted everything," she sang gently, trying to swallow down the lump in her throat. "So I tried to be like you, and I got swept away."

Claudia joined her with rasping backing vocals as the song progressed, and Stevie tried to keep her cool, but the lyrics of the song were like a tugging thread on her heart. By the time they reached the final few bars, Stevie could feel a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Please can you tell me, so I can finally see, where you go when you're gone," she sang out, her voice wavering slightly on the last note. Claudia quickly leaned forward as a smattering of applause echoed through the coffee house.

"Thanks for the love, Univille," she murmured, hastily removing her guitar so that she could jump off of her stool and wrap her arms around Stevie. Stevie didn't sob this time; rather she just pressed her face into Claudia's shoulder for a moment before she pulled away, swiping under her nose with the back of her hand. Claudia's big eyes were flicking around in concern.

"I swear to God, McFly, when I meet your mother," Claudia murmured, gritting her teeth, but Stevie shook her head vehemently.

"It's not that," she whispered, taking a step backwards off the small stage and settling onto a cushion tied to the top of a milk crate. She rested her elbows on her knees and used her thumbs to wipe away the last of her tears. Claudia perched on the edge of the stage and stared her down. Stevie sighed.

"All I wanted, all my life, was just for you to see me," she rasped, her voice cracking as she looked towards Claudia. "I'm ready to go home, Claud, to see my family again. But there's this part of me that is really unhappy about leaving you behind."

"Kid, we talked about this," Claudia soothed, leaning forward slightly. "The future's going to be different when you get back."

"I want to believe that," Stevie said scratchily, sighing again. Claudia reached out and wrapped her fingers around Stevie's wrist, giving the blonde a reassuring smile.

"You have to believe that," Claudia told her. "This is my memory, right? So you have to do what I say."

Stevie laughed despite herself, and Claudia responded with a satisfied smirk. She glanced around the coffee house, and Stevie watched a soft blush stain Claudia's cheeks.

"Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone, McFly," she mumbled shyly. "It's your job in the future to do it again, OK?"

Stevie nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. Claudia smiled back as she pushed herself to her feet.

"You look just like Steve when you smile like that," she commented over her shoulder as she climbed back onto the stage to retrieve her guitar. "Those Jinksy genes are strong. Do you have any of your mom in you at all?"

Stevie watched Claudia for a moment before she hummed under her breath, because she'd learned in the six weeks that had passed that not only was she like her mother in more ways than she knew possible, but that the very thought of that notion made her happier than she'd ever expected it to.

* * *

 **Song credit: "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch**


	21. Chapter 21

All too quickly, the Warehouse agents and their time-travelling stowaway found themselves again gathered in an artifact-crowded aisle somewhere in the depths of Warehouse 13, but not one of them seemed to be very happy about it. Stevie took in all of her companion's glum expressions, and let out a sigh as she tried to correct her own slight pout.

"You guys," she whined softly. "I gave you a couple of days to get used to this idea. I gave you happy memories."

"And that just made us even sadder," Pete said, the dimple in his chin growing deeper as he pursed his lips together. He looked like a little kid who'd had his favourite toy taken away. Stevie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she felt tears start to prickle at the back of her eyes.

"I'm sad too," she told him softly. "But I think we all knew that at some point, this had to come to an end. I have a home to go to." Stevie paused to grin ruefully.

"I need to get back to you," she quipped, twitching her nose as Pete failed to stop himself from grinning back. When Myka reached over and soothingly grazed her knuckles gently down Pete's jawline, Stevie took a moment to turn and look down the aisle to where Artie was fussing over the artifact Stevie had identified during her inventory run with Claudia. The moment Stevie had laid eyes on the copper kettle, the memory of her birthday wish with Miles had come rushing back, so obvious that the blonde couldn't believe that the thought hadn't crossed her mind sooner.

"I thought I'd made an impossible wish," she'd explained to Artie, perched on that foot stool as she'd toyed nervously with her coffee cup. "After all, when you wish to get the opportunity to know your dead father, you don't exactly expect it to come true."

"So you want to try the kettle to get back to your own time?" Artie had asked, and Stevie had hesitated for a moment before nodding softly.

"If you think it will work," she'd murmured. Artie had given her a smug smile, causing Stevie to raise a curious eyebrow.

"I suspected it, you know," Artie commented. "That Steve was your father. You almost threw me off the day I asked about your mother, but clearly you've become very good at lying over the years." His smile faltered.

"Is she really how you described her?" he asked hesitantly, sadness clouding his eyes. "Claudia, I mean. She is your mother, isn't she?"

She'd almost forgotten that Artie had loved Claudia as fiercely as he did, and that the knowledge of her emotional retreat would cause the older man so much pain. Stevie had taken that moment to reassure Artie that there had been nothing he could have done to change the situation, and while she was sure he didn't believe her, Stevie left him alone to do his research on using the copper kettle. He'd worked hard, and it had all led them to this moment, to the dusty aisle in Warehouse 13 where the copper kettle was housed. Stevie was dressed in the pink shirt Myka had gifted her, and the bat earrings she'd been given by Claudia were in her ears. In the back pocket of her denim skirt was the treasured Polaroid of her and Steve, along with the black and silver guitar pick that made up the last of her tangible birthday gifts. Behind her, Artie cleared his throat.

"Shall we, Ms McFly?" he asked, holding up the artifact and raising an eyebrow expectantly. Stevie smiled despite herself. She'd offered to tell Artie her name when she'd revealed her paternity to him, but Artie had declined, still affirming that the less he and anyone else knew, the less likely it was to disturb the future balance. Stevie rather suspected that the senior agent had actually grown to like her chosen moniker.

"I just need to say goodbye," Stevie murmured, and Artie nodded discreetly. When Stevie turned back towards the four Warehouse agents, she found tears in every eye gazing back at her.

"Me first," Pete said thickly, pushing to the front of the pack and wrapping his arms around Stevie tightly. Stevie hummed gently as she squeezed him back, and then reached up to wipe at the wayward tear that had rolled down his cheek.

"It's not sad, Uncle Pete!" she exclaimed softly. "It's only goodbye for a little while."

"Who's going to play football with me?" Pete whined at her, and Stevie screwed up her face in amusement as she tried not to laugh.

"I promise that when I get back, we'll play for as long as you want," she smiled, and the corner of Pete's mouth twitched upwards.

"I'll be counting the minutes," he promised. Stevie gave him one last tight hug before she looked towards Myka, who was fighting a losing battle with a trembling lower lip.

"Myka!" Stevie whined, feeling a lump form in her throat.

"I can't wait to meet you all over again, beautiful girl," Myka squeaked, holding out her arms for her own hug. Stevie pressed her face against Myka's shoulder for a moment before she leaned in close.

"In case I don't say it enough to you in the future, thank you, for everything you do," Stevie murmured in the curly haired agent's ear. "You've been my constant in both the future and the past. You're my foundation, Myka."

Pressing a kiss to Stevie's cheek, Myka hiccupped and sniffled as she pulled away, already shuffling under the arm Pete held outstretched. Stevie felt a sense of overwhelming love and gratitude settle over her as she smiled fondly at her future aunt and uncle, and she had to bite back a giggle when Myka unhesitatingly used Pete's sleeve to dry her eyes. Behind her, a throat was impatiently cleared, and Stevie turned to find Claudia huffing out an unhappy sigh.

"You sure we can't convince you to stay, kid?" she quipped softly, her expression despondent. "We have cake, and coffee."

"How could I resist an offer like that?" Stevie rasped back, blinking against the sting of tears welling in her eyes. There was the sudden sensation of a great weight on her chest, like it was becoming overwhelmingly harder to breathe. She fought to keep her composure as she stepped towards Claudia.

"You were the last thing I expected to find here," Stevie murmured, smiling sadly. "You surprised me, Claudia Donovan."

"I feel like I didn't get enough time with you," Claudia told her, blowing out a breath that wavered unhappily. "I have no idea how to explain it, but we're connected, you and me, right? I'm not the only one who felt it?"

"Every moment with you has been perfect," Stevie said shakily. She could feel the corners of her mouth pulling downwards, and there was a large lump stuck in her throat.

"Don't let us lose it," Claudia demanded softly, stepping forward and wrapping her hands around Stevie's. "You made a promise, McFly. I'll be waiting for you to keep it." She stared Stevie down, coffee-coloured eyes wide with sincerity.

"Don't let us down, kid," she murmured, and then pulled Stevie into her tight embrace. Stevie could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks even as she pressed herself into Claudia as closely as she possibly could, forcing herself to remember every part of the way Claudia held her, and the way she smelled, and the warmth that radiated not only from her body, but from her very soul. No matter what Claudia said, Stevie couldn't quite bring herself to believe that when she got back to the future, things between them would change, and so she filed every sensation into her memory and locked it up tightly. Claudia let out a shuddering sigh as she finally released Stevie from her hold.

"I'll be waiting for you," she repeated softly, the promise evident in her eyes. Wiping at her tears with the back of her hand, Stevie nodded and then nearly fell apart all over again when her eyes met Steve's. Panic hit her without warning, overwhelming her every sense. Her heart started to race in her chest, and she flicked her gaze wildly between where Artie stood and then back to Steve as her breath started to escape her in soft gasps. Dizziness threatened to overpower her as her stomach started to churn. Her chest felt like it was on fire; the thought of leaving her father behind squeezing at her heart like a vice. Stevie started emitting tiny little squeaks as she gasped for air.

"I don't think, I don't, I can't," she stammered, feeling herself starting to hyperventilate. "I don't want to go! I can't... I won't... I..."

"Hey, take a breath!" Steve exclaimed softly, lunging forwards and grabbing onto her shoulders. "Look at me, and just breathe. Try to calm down."

"I can't!" Stevie yelped, shaking her head hysterically. "I can't... oh God..."

Myka, Pete, and Claudia had all taken a few steps forward, but before Stevie had time to process their movements, Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked her briskly around the corner of the next aisle, away from everyone else's sight and hearing range. He turned Stevie to face him, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I need you to breathe, Stevie," he murmured soothingly. "Calm down. There's my girl. You're my perfect girl. Come on, now. I'm right here. Just concentrate on my breathing, and see if you can match it, ok?"

Stevie knew her eyes were as wide as saucers, and she could feel her whole body shaking as she continued to squeak uncontrollably. Steve smoothed his thumb across her cheekbone.

"Stevie, breathe," he instructed with a little more firmness. Stevie swallowed hard and then exhaled roughly. Steve gave her a gentle smile, his eyes tracing over every inch of her face.

"There's my girl," he murmured again, steadily breathing in and out so that Stevie could match his rhythm. The cheerleader was still trembling, but slowly her heart rate started to return to some sense of normal.

"You gotta stop doing this to me," Steve quipped gently, and Stevie hiccupped as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"How am I supposed to leave you, knowing what happens when I go?" she whimpered desperately, lifting her hands so that she could wrap her fingers around Steve's wrists. "If I leave, you die, Steve. How do you expect me to live my life, when... when..." she trailed off as she started to gasp for air again.

"Whoa, whoa!" Steve soothed, pulling Stevie against his chest and running his hand over her hair as he rocked her gently. "Stevie, you know you have to go home."

"I don't want to," Stevie mumbled against his chest. "I changed my mind. I want to stay here, with you."

"I want that too," Steve admitted gruffly, kissing the crown of Stevie's head and then sighing as he inched her out of his hold. "But we both know that we can't change how things turn out."

"It's not fair," Stevie whined wetly. "We didn't have enough time. It's never going to be enough time!"

"I know," Steve conceded unhappily, reaching up to rub at his temple. "I hate this as much as you do."

Stevie kicked at the ground with the toe of her sneaker.

"I want my Daddy," she whimpered, wrapping her arms around herself. Steve reached out to cup her cheek again. They stared each other down for a while, sky blue eyes that mirrored each other so perfectly, and then Steve sighed unhappily as he hung his head.

"I need you to go back, Stevie Faith," he murmured gently. "You're my reassurance. When I die, I'll be able to go peacefully, because I'll know that Claudia will have someone to look after her, even when I'm gone."

"She's supposed to look after me," Stevie whispered pitifully, her voice cracking. Steve winced as if she'd slapped him.

"You've got Pete, and Myka, and Miles," he finally replied, his tone soft, and Stevie's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Miles," she whispered, her lower lip wobbling. She'd tried desperately to push the thought of her best friend out of her mind, but the mere mention of his name had her longing to see him again. Steve smiled in bemusement.

"I meant what I said about him, Stevie," he offered. "I really do think you should give the boy a chance."

"I just don't understand why I couldn't have everything," Stevie sighed, chewing on her lower lip as she wiped at her falling tears with one of her hands. Steve made a rumbling sound low in his throat.

"No one ever said life was meant to be fair," he murmured, and then emitted a low grunt when Stevie threw herself back into his embrace.

"I love you, Daddy," she mumbled against his shoulder, holding on to him as tightly as she could.

"I will never stop loving you, Stevie Faith," Steve whispered back, squeezing her with just as much desperate enthusiasm. "I'll always be with you."

Stevie sniffled as she reluctantly eased out of the hug, exhaling loudly as she scrubbed at her tear-stained cheeks with her hands. Steve stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at her shyly.

"We ok now?"

Stevie shook her head, but then she gestured towards the aisle where they'd left the rest of the Warehouse agents.

"I get the feeling you won't let me stall forever," she quipped sadly, and a smile tugged at the corners of Steve's lips as he reached out and tucked her under his arm so that they could go back to their waiting friends and family. When they returned, however, the focus of the group was firmly on Artie, and Stevie could immediately see that the agents of the Warehouse were prepping for a fight. As she and Steve drew closer, Stevie saw that Artie was holding out vials of a pinkish substance with a determined look on his face.

"You're in serious denial if you think I'm even touching that," Claudia snarked, fixing Artie with a seriously unimpressed expression.

"What's going on?" Steve enquired as he and Stevie drew level with the group. Pete looked up, his nostrils flared.

"Artie's trying to poison us," he sneered, and Artie immediately barked out a protest.

"Pete," Myka murmured warningly, but her face reflected an uneasy unhappiness. Stevie bit her lip as she nodded towards the vials in Artie's hands.

"What is that?" she asked hesitantly. Her stomach threatened to turn over again as Artie sighed.

"The brains at Eureka designed it, on my request," he explained gruffly. "It's a memory serum."

"He wants us to forget you!" Claudia snarled unhappily. "What Artie doesn't seem to grasp is that there's no way any of us is going through with that."

Her heart pounding, Stevie glanced towards Steve, and noted that his face had drained of colour. She knew immediately that he was having the same thoughts as her, and none of them were of the happy variety.

"Why?" Stevie asked. Artie looked pained.

"I have only the best of intentions," he murmured. "You've told all of us so much, some more than others, about the future, Miss McFly. I can't bear to think that something might go wrong due to a simple slip of the tongue. If you're erased from our memories, you, us... we'll all be safe."

"Nothing's going to happen, Artie!" Claudia yowled, rounding on her father-figure mentor. "We wouldn't do anything that would hurt her. We love her."

"I love her too!" Artie barked, causing Claudia to take a startled step backwards. "I am simply trying to do what is right, for you, and for her, and for everybody standing here right now."

"By making us all forget?" Claudia yelped. "You're out of your gourd, old man."

"You should do it," Stevie spoke up, and Claudia whipped around, her eyes wide like a deer frozen in a headlight beam.

"What?" she shrieked, her tone verging on hysteria. Stevie's nose twitched, like she was about to cry again, but she held her voice steady.

"My life," she stated, "your life, our lives... they're all connected. And yes, there's things I'd change, that we'd all change, I'm sure, if we had the opportunity, but we can't, not without risking changing everything good as well."

"McFly," Claudia breathed. Her face had fallen, like she'd been betrayed by the person she loved the most. Stevie's heart felt like it was literally cracking inside her chest. She powered on regardless.

"I don't like it either," she murmured. "But I think Artie is right. He normally is, after all."

Claudia's eyes were brimming with tears, and with her mouth slightly ajar, she looked over Stevie's shoulder to where Steve stood. Stevie didn't have to turn around to know that Steve was giving Claudia the kind of look that told her he agreed with the plan. Claudia's lips finally pressed together in a hard line as a lone tear slipped down her cheek.

"Fine," she finally bit out. "I'll do it. I won't forget though. I'll fight it."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Stevie whispered with a watery smile. Behind Claudia, Myka sniffled as she held out a hand to Artie, who pressed two of the vials into her palm. Pete raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not taking that," he stated emphatically, and then yelped when Myka balled up her free hand and punched his arm.

"Don't be an ass," she growled, holding out one of the vials. "Do as you're told."

"Everyone's always telling me what to do," Pete muttered, nonetheless finally taking the vial of pink liquid and holding it up to the light so that he could study it. When Artie handed the serum to Claudia, she fixed him with her signature Donovan death stare.

"You can look at me like that all you want," Artie grumbled at her. "I only ever do what I do to protect you."

Claudia snorted and averted her gaze, her nostrils twitching angrily. Stevie watched as Steve accepted his own vial from Artie, but then she blinked in surprise when the older man held out one for her as well.

"You're affected as much as the rest of us," Artie told her. "I think it would be best if you take this as soon as you return, and then your life as you've always known it can go on.

Stevie sighed, her brow furrowed, but she nodded shortly as she tucked the vial into the spare pocket of her skirt. She quickly turned her attention back to Steve when Artie walked back down the aisle to collect the copper kettle. Steve beckoned her closer, and then held up the memory serum he'd been provided with.

"This might take you from here," he murmured, pointing to his head," but nothing will ever take you from my heart."

Stevie smirked despite herself at the cheesiness of the line, and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she felt her cheeks grow warm.

"I'm really proud of you," Steve told her gently, his voice thick with emotion, and Stevie wrapped her arms around his neck in her final goodbye hug.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," Steve whispered back, his sentence almost swept away by a groan as suddenly three extra sets of arms wrapped around them. There were murmurs of well wishes and promises; tightened grips and fingers stroked through hair one final time before everyone reluctantly pulled away. Stevie snuck in one final graze of her fingers over Steve's before she drew in a sharp intake of breath and stepped towards where Artie waited for patiently for her. The copper kettle sat in his purple-gloved hands.

"I know it might be difficult right now, Ms McFly, but I need you to clear your mind," Artie instructed in his low, rumbling tone. "No wayward thoughts, or this won't work at all."

Stevie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she tried to force herself to relax. She could hear the others shifting and murmuring behind her, and her hand twitched as she debated just for a moment turning and running back to them. Tears stung her eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. Instead, she put a soft smile on her lips and held out her hands for the kettle.

"I'm ready," she whispered. Artie gave her a half-hearted smile of his own.

"Remember, you have to be clear in your intentions too," he said steadily.

"I got it, Artie," Stevie drawled back. "If, I didn't know any better, I'd think you were stalling, Grandpa."

Artie harrumphed at her, shaking his head as he shuffled past her so that Stevie was forced to turn around and face her Warehouse audience. Only then did Artie hold out the kettle, though he kept his hands on the base even as Stevie wrapped her hands around the handle.

"Make it count," Artie murmured, and then, sighing softly, he let go. Stevie immediately slammed her eyes shut, and filled her mind with thoughts of home. She pictured the Lattimer girls; smart and brave Zoe, bubbly Shiloh, and quiet and defiant Bridget. She imagined her Uncle Pete, hair completely grey but his eyes still shining like a child's, and her Aunt Myka, eternally beautiful in both appearance and soul, putting their every effort into making her feel like one of their own children. The happiness she only ever felt with Miles made her tingle all over as his handsome face and warm smile crossed into her mind. And then there was Claudia, lingering on the edges of her memories, head down, eyes sad, but, Stevie suddenly realised, always watching despite never making contact.

"I wish to go back," Stevie said out loud, her voice clear and unwavering. "I wish to return to my own time. I want to go home."

The aisle was silent for what felt like an eternity, and Stevie's stomach turned to lead as she waited for something, anything, to happen. Just as she was about to give up, she heard it, soft at first, but then all at once; a high-pitched ringing that was clearly building to a crescendo. Stevie's eyes flew open just in time to catch the entire aisle starting to shimmer. Her gaze immediately went to Steve, who had his arms wrapped around Claudia's shoulders, holding her back from running to Stevie's side. It was the last thing Stevie saw before the bright flash of light that consumed the entire aisle. She had to shut her eyes again against the flare, but it still burned red against her eyelids, and there were spots in her vision when she finally allowed herself to blink. It took Stevie a moment to realise that her hands were empty, but not as long to note that she was alone in the aisle. A hiccup lodged in her throat, catching her by surprise, as she turned in a slow circle to ensure that she was actually by herself. Ducking down, Stevie caught sight of the hourglass that had started it all, lying on its side again in what Stevie now realised was its proper neutralised position. Huffing out a breath, Stevie returned herself to her a standing position and looked around again. She wrinkled her nose and smiled despite herself when a familiar scent filled the air.

"Really, now?" she asked out loud, the smell of apples tickling her nostrils. "You think you're so smart, don't you?"

Stevie could have sworn she heard the Warehouse laugh softly in reply, and the apple scent intensified. Rolling her eyes, Stevie walked to the end of the aisle and patted one of the stack shelf posts fondly.

"Yeah, ok, you did it, girl," she murmured. "I'm home."


	22. Chapter 22

The Warehouse was oddly quiet as Stevie hurried through the aisles on her way back to the office. She wasn't sure exactly what she'd been expecting, but there was a surprising sense of disappointment coupled with a slight panic that played on her mind as she navigated past the Ovoid Quarantine and continued onwards. Stevie reasoned that the Warehouse was infinitely large, but still, she'd half-expected to find Pete or Miles roaming the aisles in a desperate bid to locate her. Pondering just where her family could be, Stevie was power-walking so fast that she almost tripped over her own feet when a large yellow sign caught the corner of her vision and she stopped short. Backing up slightly, Stevie fingered the batwing pendant around her neck as she contemplated the neutralising station in front of her. A slight crinkle formed between her eyebrows as she mulled over the idea in her head, and then she reached into her back pocket and removed the memory serum vial, twisting it between her fingers.

"Sorry, Artie," she murmured under her breath, lifting the lid on the bucket of neutraliser goo and dropping the memory serum in. There was a tiny spark, and then the vial sunk beneath the purple goo and disappeared. Feeling slightly guilty, Stevie returned the lid and then continued on her trek back to the Warehouse office. Her heart started to pound when she finally reached the bottom of the staircase, and she noted the slight tremor in her hand when she lifted it to grasp the handrail. Swallowing hard, Stevie put her foot on the first step and then found that she was unable to restrain herself. Letting out a delighted giggle, she took the stairs two at a time, flung herself around the balustrade, and then stopped short right on the threshold of the office doorway as she tried to comprehend the almost complete lack of activity she found there. The grin on her face faded as she observed Miles asleep on the office floor, a discarded sweater balled up under his head like a pillow. His hair was an unkempt mess, and there was the beginning of a beard growth across his cheeks. Wade, meanwhile, was parked in front of a computer, noise-cancelling headphones clamped over his ears, but his hands weren't moving at their usual breakneck speed over the keyboard. At the research table, Myka had a bunch of papers spread out in front of her, but her forehead was rested on the table, and Pete was absently toying with her hair, ignoring the book that was open in front of him as he stared into empty space. There was no-one else in the office, and the silence was deafening. Stevie huffed out a breath.

"Well, that's mildly disappointing," she drawled snarkily, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned lazily against the doorframe. At the sound of her voice, Myka's head immediately snapped up, and her eyes went wide as her gaze shot to the doorway. Pete looked just as startled, his mouth dropping open even as Myka's hand shot out and gripped his wrist.

"Stevie!" Myka shrilled, scrabbling to her feet so fast that her chair slammed backwards. Her shriek woke Miles, who practically levitated off the floor.

"What, where?" he bumbled sleepily, swivelling his head wildly before his focus fell on the blonde in the doorway, and then he let out a shout of his own. Myka was already halfway across the office, Pete two steps behind her, and it was their movement that caught Wade's attention. The Warehouse agent removed his headphones and gasped out Stevie's name just as Myka flung herself at the girl in question, wrapping her arms around the young woman so tightly that Stevie temporarily lost her ability to breathe. She didn't fight the embrace though, instead tangling her fingers in her aunt's hair and revelling in her warmth.

"You always gave the best hugs," she mumbled into Myka's shoulder, and Myka let out a slightly distraught laugh as she pulled back, cupping her hands on Stevie's cheeks and studying her closely with fraught maternal eyes.

"Where have you been?" Myka whispered. "Are you hurt? We have been so worried about you."

"Yeah, it looks it," Stevie quipped, her lips twitching in a smirk. "You're all asleep on the job."

"Of all the times to sass me, Stevie Faith," Myka rasped, her eyes welling with tears. "I thought I lost you, beautiful girl." A whimper escaped from her lips, and Stevie's teasing smirk softened.

"Hey, hey, I'm right here," Stevie exclaimed reassuringly, putting her hands over Myka's. "I'm safe. I'm home."

Pete cleared his throat as he reached out and placed a soft hand on Myka's shoulder.

"I need a turn here," he rumbled, and Myka whined under her breath, but nonetheless removed her hands from Stevie's cheeks and took an unwilling step backwards to allow Pete to place himself in front of Stevie. The older man fixed Stevie with an unforgiving stare.

"You already had a hand in turning me grey, kid, now you're trying to make me bald too?" he snarked at her, flaring his nostrils. Stevie bit her lip as she glanced at her uncle's hairline.

"Doesn't look like I tried hard enough," she murmured, giving Pete her best puppy dog eyes. Pete's stern face crumpled, and he bundled Stevie into his arms, pressing his lips to her temple. Stevie could feel him shaking.

"I couldn't eat, Stevie," Pete mumbled against her shoulder. "The very thought made me sick. I just kept thinking how I made a promise to your dad..."

Even as her stomach knotted up at the mention of Steve, Stevie made a soothing noise and gripped her fingers into the fabric of Pete's shirt.

"I was looked after," she promised him, releasing a shuddering breath that she didn't even realise she'd been holding in. Pete rocked her softly for a moment before releasing his hold.

"You have so much explaining to do," he warned Stevie, who nodded in reply as she twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers. When Pete moved to wrap his protective arms around Myka, Stevie found herself face to face with Miles. His eyes were wild, and his breathing was shallow. Licking her lips as she felt her heart start to race, Stevie raised an eyebrow at her best friend.

"You look like shit," she quipped dryly. Miles's mouth dropped open, and then he let out a bellowed roar as he stormed across the office towards her.

"I could kill you!" he howled, reaching out and grabbing Stevie by the shoulders. "I have been through hell looking for you! Actual hell, Stevie! I thought you were dead, and you just wander back in here like you've been on summer vacation? Do you have any idea what I've been through? I couldn't breathe, goddammit!"

"Miles," Stevie tried in a gentle attempt to cut him off, but Miles was on a roll.

"I looked everywhere for you!" he continued ranting. "Every inch of this goddamn Warehouse, Stevie, but you weren't there, and I swear to God, it felt like someone had cut off my right hand!"

Through his grip on her shoulders, Stevie could feel Miles quivering uncontrollably. His breath was coming in short gasps, but those gasps suddenly halted when Stevie lifted her hands and cupped his face in her palms. Miles swallowed hard, and Stevie leaned forward and touched her forehead to his.

"I missed you too," she whispered, a smirk toying at the very corners of her lips. For a moment Miles looked like he might actually scream, and then the wildness melted from his eyes, and he dropped his arms, suddenly a defeated little boy crushed under the weight of his own emotions.

"I thought you were gone, Stevie," he croaked out, tears trickling down his cheeks. "I didn't think I was ever going to see you again."

Stevie's heart leaped to her throat, and a whimper she didn't even know she'd been holding back suddenly escaped her lips.

"How could you ever think I'd ever leave you behind?" she yelped back at Miles, reaching out and wrapping herself around him. Her best friend broke down under her touch, sobbing against her shoulder as he clung to her so tightly Stevie wondered if he'd ever let go, and as she savoured his warmth and smell and touch, Stevie finally acknowledged that she wouldn't actually care if he never did. She murmured his name softly, and sniffling noisily in reply, Miles lifted his head to meet her eyes. Stevie felt her cheeks grow warm under his intense green gaze.

"I think we should go on a date," she offered up tentatively, watching as Miles's face slackened for a moment, and then suddenly lit up as her words registered. As they stood, his nose was only millimetres from hers, but even as he leaned ever so slightly forward, Stevie reached up and caught his chin in her hand.

"I said a date," she chided with a smirk, and Miles chuffed out a short laugh as he hesitantly backed up to give her some space, though Stevie noted that his fingers found hers and didn't let go. Not attempting to break the contact, Stevie used her free hand to wipe at her own watery eyes and caught Wade watching her expectantly, but it was what she glimpsed over his shoulder that made her frown in confusion.

"Wade, what the hell?" Stevie asked, squinting at the sight of her own image plastered over the three computer screens the dark skinned young man had clearly commandeered.

"I've been running facial recognition software for weeks," Wade told her, rolling his eyes. "Not that it was working, but I couldn't just sit here now, could I? Not while everyone else was frantic."

Stevie noted that even as Wade talked, Myka and Pete had inched back towards her, like they were worried that if they got too far away from her again, she'd disappear. Miles's thumb was lazily stroking the back of her hand. She felt so warm, so wanted, but still, there was something missing, and the feeling gnawed at her gut like a growing dark stain.

"Where are the others?" she asked cautiously. "The girls?"

"The girls had to go back to school," Myka told her. "They didn't want to, and Shiloh's been calling so often it feels like she didn't leave at all..."

"You've been gone for six weeks, Stevie," Miles murmured. "They were as distressed as we were. Ma practically had to force Zoe onto the plane to Paris, but we had no idea if... when... you were coming back..."

"Shh," Stevie soothed as she glimpsed tears reappearing in Miles's eyes. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"The teams are out on snags, but I just texted everyone," Wade spoke up, and then grinned as his phone started beeping and buzzing. "Gina's beside herself. Prepare to be accosted when they get back, Stevie."

Offering the wheelchair-bound agent a smirk, Stevie turned towards her aunt and uncle, mouth half-open on her way to asking her next question, when she realised that Myka was frowning at her. Stevie raised an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong, Aunt Myka?"

Myka cocked her head, and then croaked out a small sound like she was trying to find the right words to say. She reached out and fingered the sleeve of the shirt Stevie wore.

"This sounds ridiculous, but is that my shirt?" she asked incredulously. "I had one just like it, before you were born, but it just disappeared one day."

Blinking at her aunt, Stevie felt her heart slowly start to sink as she processed Myka's words.

"Oh no," she whispered forlornly, the blood draining from her face. "You don't remember."

"Don't remember what?" Myka queried softly. "Stevie..."

"You don't remember," Stevie whimpered, her lower lip trembling. "It really worked. Artie got you all to take the serum."

In front of her, Pete and Myka shared a worried look.

"What serum?" Pete frowned, the crease between his eyebrows deepening. "Stevie, you're not making any sense."

They were all looking at her expectantly, waiting for an explanation, but Stevie could only focus on the panic that was building inside of her, clawing at her gut and tightening her lungs, because if her aunt and uncle didn't remember her... Stevie suddenly felt dizzy, but the sound of footfalls on the spiral staircase caused her to drop Miles's hand and quickly whip around. The second their eyes met, Claudia froze, her hand gripping the banister of the staircase so tightly that Stevie could see her knuckles turn white. Claudia's eyes were wide and studious, but the rest of her face was a blank canvas. Stevie couldn't pick up a speck of emotion off her mother's expression, but despite that fact, and what she'd just learned, there was a flickering flame of hope burning deep inside of her. Shaking, Stevie took a tentative step forward, and her keen ears heard Claudia draw in a sharp breath at the action.

"Hi, Mom," Stevie offered softly. Claudia's lips parted ever so slightly, but quickly closed again, and she broke eye contact as she took the last couple of steps to the office floor. Stevie drew in a sharp breath. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but the panic was also rising, because Stevie could clearly see that Claudia was already looking towards the door that led to the Warehouse floor. Without making a sound, Claudia offered Stevie what could only describe as a cursory nod and then without hesitating, she disappeared from the office as quickly as she'd entered. Mortified, Stevie stared after her mother, her mouth open in dumbfounded shock. She was vaguely aware of Pete, Myka and Miles all moving towards her, murmuring her name with both worry and reassurance, but her vision had gone blurry and she could barely get air into her lungs. The ringing in her ears hit a crescendo, and it was only Pete's lightning reflexes that stopped her from hitting the floor when her knees suddenly gave out, and blackness claimed her.


	23. Chapter 23

She'd only passed out for a moment, but it was enough for Myka, Pete and Miles to bundle Stevie up and load her into the SUV to return her to the B&B. For the first part of the trip, Stevie remained silent, almost catatonic as she stared out of the window at the passing landscape. She was vaguely aware of Miles's hand on her knee, absently stroking her skin with the pad of his thumb, and of Myka and Pete murmuring to each other in the front seats, but neither was soothing to the jumbled mess of thoughts that was tangling into a tighter and tighter web inside of her head. As the badlands rolled by, a tumultuous bubble of emotions roiled and crashed inside of her, and Stevie felt her breathing begin to grow shallow. Slowly, she lifted one of her hands, and watched with mild curiosity the way that her fingers quivered, and then, without warning, she let out a blood-curdling scream. The SUV swerved wildly as Pete jumped from fright, and he yelped his displeasure as he pulled the car back under control. Myka whipped around in the passenger seat, her eyes wide with worry. Beside Stevie, Miles made to reach for his friend, but recoiled slightly when Stevie shrieked maniacally again.

"Nothing?" she howled, wrapping her hands around her seatbelt in a desperate need to cling to something. "I have been missing for six freaking weeks, and I get nothing? I am her goddamn daughter!"

"Stevie," Miles soothed, extending a hand, but Stevie yelped at him, pulling away from his approach.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, watching as Miles's eyes filled with hurt, but she was too far gone to bring forth an apology. Instead, she smacked the palm of her hand repeatedly against the panel of the car door.

"I could have been dead!" Stevie roared wildly. "What the hell is wrong with her? She's supposed to be my mother! She's supposed to care!"

"Stevie, sweetheart, you need to calm down," Myka said steadily from the front seat. Stevie stiffened as she turned her disbelieving stare on her aunt.

"Calm down?" she shrilled. "What have I got to be calm about? My own mother doesn't even care that I disappeared without a trace!"

"Stevie, if you'd just take a second to breathe," Myka tried again, just as Pete jerkily pulled the SUV into the driveway of the B&B. Stevie was already wrestling with her seatbelt, practically wrenching the buckle out of the clasp as she flung herself out of the car, storming across the yard and muttering under her breath. Her family were only seconds behind her, and Miles hurriedly scrambled up the steps of the porch so that he could open the front door before Stevie reached it and ripped it off of its hinges. Growling at her friend as she passed, Stevie barged into the house and made directly for the staircase. She was aware that the Lattimers was following her, their footsteps like thunder on the stairs behind her, but she didn't acknowledge them, rather making a beeline for her bedroom. Flinging open the door to the attic, and not at all minding if she accidentally smacked her uncle in the nose in the process, Stevie took the stairs to her room two at a time, but just as quickly halted her momentum at what she found in front of her. There was dead silence from everyone for a moment, and then Stevie balled her hands into fists and shrieked in frustrated rage.

"What the hell happened to my room?" she demanded shrilly, whipping around to face the Lattimers who had lined up on the stairs behind her. Myka took a hesitant step forward.

"We've been trying to tell you, beautiful girl," she said gently. "We just couldn't get a word in."

Stevie was well aware of the fact that her whole body was shaking, and her face felt so hot she was sure that her cheeks were crimson. She exhaled slowly.

"What happened?" she asked again, this time her tone more measured as she surveyed her room again. "Who did this?"

The attic looked like it had been trashed; her wardrobe and drawers were all open, with clothes tossed around the room. Stuffed animals and photo frames were overturned wherever she looked, and there were papers and photographs strewn all over her bed. Stevie's heart stopped in a moment of panic when she realised that some of those papers were the contents of the memory box for Steve that she kept under her bed. She felt her stomach constrict, and the rage inside of her began to give way to the crushing weight of heartache. Stevie turned back towards her family and let out a tiny squeak of defeat.

"Miles," she whimpered softly. She must have looked like she was about to collapse again, because Miles practically shoved past his mother as he dove towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his chest against her back. Myka bit down on her lower lip as Pete protectively tucked her under his arm. Watching them as she leaned back against Miles, Stevie could feel her face twitching as she fought not to cry.

"Stevie, you just disappeared," Miles rumbled, his voice reverberating through her. "That light blinded us all, but when it was gone, so were you. We looked everywhere, and we called for you, but you were just... gone. And then it started..."

"The screaming," Myka whispered, almost absently, her fingers working at a strand of her hair. She looked so pained that Stevie felt her own throat constrict.

"I've never heard anything like it," Miles murmured thickly.

"I have," Myka broke in, her voice cracking. "The day that Steve died, she screamed like that. It's a sound I'll never be able to forget, so long as I live."

"Wait, the screaming was Claudia?" Stevie asked breathlessly.

"It was like she was in agony," Miles replied, his voice shaking slightly. "Like everything that mattered had been ripped away from her. She just kept shrieking your name over and over again..."

"Stevie girl, your mom was inconsolable," Pete told his niece gently. Stevie wondered if her facial expression conveyed her confusion.

"She was hysterical," Miles continued. "I mean, we all were, but Claudia, I mean, I've never seen her convey an emotion before, but Stevie, the Warehouse, it shook. Like, actually trembled."

"All of that bottled-up emotion, and Claud is so closely tied to the Warehouse," Myka murmured. "I'm not going to lie, I was worried we were going to have to evacuate Univille."

"We felt it all the way from the office," Pete chipped in. "By the time I got down to that aisle, Claudia had practically torn it apart. We tried to stop her, but there was no getting through to her."

Stevie gaped at them all, gasping out a soft breath as she tried to wrap her head around what she was being told.

"So... so, she, my mom," she babbled softly.

"Claudia has been relentless," Myka stated softly. "We've all been trying, searching for you any way we could, but Claudia..."

"She threatened to quit," Pete said flatly, his face drawn. "She had the Regents on the phone, on the Farnsworth, via email, and it was always the same. Find a way to bring back her daughter, or she'd walk away for good. Obviously they wanted to help, but there was nothing that they could do. Claudia was livid."

"I was doing laps of the Warehouse looking for you, but she was always right beside me," Miles murmured, sniffling softly. "Claudia was the one giving directions and tracking any changes. She wasn't sleeping, and her ideas and plans were getting more and more out of control..."

Stevie was trembling. Her stomach had clenched itself up so tightly that she felt like she was being stabbed, and she was barely drawing breath.

"Last week Claudia thought she'd found a way to combine artifacts to bring you back, but our guess is that she needed something of yours to make it work," Pete continued the story. "She burst into the B&B like a bat out of hell, before we even knew what was going on, and we only realised that she was up here when we heard the noise."

"It was like she went mad," Miles murmured uncomfortably, his hands tightening ever so slightly on Stevie's waist. "The screaming... there was just this brokenness to every sound that came out of her, and then, it just stopped."

"It was like a switch flipped inside of her," Myka rasped, her face drawn. "The light inside of her, it just went out. If I had to guess, I'd say the sight of those photos was just too much for her to take. She hasn't spoken to us since."

"But I'm back now," Stevie said shakily, flicking her gaze around her trashed room. "I'm right here. Why didn't she say something?"

"Oh, honey, we all handle our emotions in different ways," Myka murmured sadly. Stevie felt her face crumple as her heart broke.

"I shouldn't have come back," she whimpered, her body jolting as she started to cry. "I should have just stayed where I was."

"Stevie, no," Miles whispered brokenly. Stevie turned in his arms and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing as the weight of her emotionally-charged day completely overwhelmed her. Miles whispered her name soothingly, rocking her from side to side as he held her closely, but Stevie couldn't stop her tears from falling. The soft touch on her shoulder a few moments later came from Pete, and Stevie knew that he was just trying to do something to help, but the gesture just felt so helpless that it weighed on her even more.

"I think Stevie needs to sleep," Myka asserted, her maternal voice ringing through. "She's had a big day. We all have."

"She can't sleep here," Pete murmured back, concern lacing his tone. Her face still buried against Miles's chest, Stevie heard faint rustling as Myka stepped across the room for a moment and then cleared her throat. Finally releasing Miles, Stevie turned despondently to face her aunt, who she found holding an old shirt and a pair of cut-off sweatpants.

"You can stay with Miles," Myka spoke gently. "I don't think you should be alone right now."

Stevie had lost any strength to argue, even if she'd wanted to. Emotionally defeated, she allowed the Lattimers to lead her back downstairs, where she changed into her pyjamas in some sort of trance, and then just as robotically climbed into Miles's bed and rested her head on his pillow. It was only when her aunt and uncle retreated downstairs, and Miles made to settle into a nearby chair, that she softly spoke.

"Miles," she whispered, and then watched as his head shot up, his brow creased with worry. Stevie drew her lower lip between her teeth for a moment, feeling tears brim in her eyes again.

"Please hold me," she requested hopelessly. "I don't want to disappear again."

Miles's face slackened, and he was beside her in an instant, pulling her against his side and softly tracing patterns on her arm with his fingers.

"I'll never let you go, Stevie Faith," he promised gently. "I'll always be here, for as long as you need me."

Stevie could already feel her eyelids drooping, the heaviness of everything she'd been through bearing down on her like a lead weight. Letting out a shuddering sigh, she finally leaned into Miles's familiar warmth, and closing her eyes, she let sleep take her away.


	24. Chapter 24

It took Stevie a few days after her return before she started to feel like she was at home again. She was surprised to realise just how comfortable she'd become in the B&B of the past, and being back in her own time felt like learning to walk all over again. She found herself tripping over furniture she'd forgotten was there despite the fact it had never moved so long as she'd been alive, and looking in the wrong kitchen cupboards for simple things like coffee mugs and cereal bowls. Myka and Pete watched her like hawks, and Miles followed her everywhere, which Stevie appreciated at first as she fought to find the familiar again, but she soon realised that she needed some time to herself to try and unravel the tangle of emotion that lingered inside of her. When Stevie had asked Miles to let her be alone while she restored her room to some sort of order, he'd looked so worried that Stevie had actually found herself blushing before she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"I'll be fine," she murmured, but Miles still pursed his lips unhappily.

"I could help you," he offered, flicking his eyes over her shoulder at the staircase behind her. Stevie shook her head.

"I need to do this on my own," she said more forcefully, giving his shoulder a gentle push. "Go on. I'll come and find you when I'm done."

Miles frowned, but he huffed out a breath and then turned and slowly shuffled away, dragging his feet as he moved down the hallway. Rolling her eyes in fond amusement, a smirk tugging at her lips despite herself, Stevie shook her head gently as she headed to her room, shutting the door to the staircase softly behind her. Setting a shaky hand on the banister, Stevie swallowed hard against the lump that formed in her throat as she took in the mess in front of her. Claudia had clearly been in distress; the trashing of the room was the work of someone hell bent on destruction after reaching the end of their emotionally frayed rope. Sucking air between her teeth, Stevie wrapped a strand of hair around her finger as she contemplated where to start. A small part of her wondered if it was even worth making the effort, given that Claudia's reaction to her return had done nothing to make her feel like coming back to the B&B once she was done with college, but eventually Stevie moved forward and set an overturned chair back onto its feet. Once she took that first step, the whole project took on a fluidity of its own, and Stevie seized the opportunity to use her familiarity of her own belongings to soothe her jumbled emotions. Stuffed animals that Miles had won for her at school fairs were returned to shelves and chairs, her favourite shoes were lined back up in the closet, and once she'd tidied her chest of drawers so that her clothes were packed away, Stevie set photo frames that contained images of her friends and family back to their rightful position. Anything broken or ruined went into a large paper shopping bag at the top of the stairs. Stevie noted with a heavy heart that many of those items were from the stash of unwanted birthday presents from her mother, and she wondered if in her delirium if Claudia had acknowledged exactly what she was breaking. Finally, Stevie turned to the upended pile of photographs and papers that was scattered across her bed. Her stomach tightened as she reached out and picked up the closest photograph. Stevie could only assume that Claudia had taken the picture; no one else could even come close to making Steve smile the way he was in the image she held. Tears prickled in Stevie's eyes despite her best effort to stop them. She couldn't describe how badly she wanted to go back to her father, but it pained Stevie to admit even more that the person she really wanted to go back to was Claudia. Clearing her throat and blinking her eyes to clear her tears, Stevie located the pattered shoebox that she used to store her keepsakes and started haphazardly heaping the photos and papers back into it, trying to avoid paying too much attention to what she was doing. Stevie supposed that she should have been satisfied with herself, and happy that things were back where they belonged, but even though her emotions seemed to have also returned themselves to some kind of order, all she felt inside was empty. Swallowing hard, Stevie reached into her back pocket and pulled out her time-travelling keepsakes. The guitar pick and bat earrings were like lead weights in her palm, and Stevie sighed as she took the pick between her fingers and tapped its edge against her lips. In the back of her mind, she could hear Claudia's voice telling her again not to back down, but all too vivid in Stevie's memory was the completely blank expression she'd received from her mother on her return from the past, and the more she contemplated it, Stevie could feel herself slipping back towards unhappiness. Clenching her jaw, Stevie dropped the earrings and the guitar pick into the box of pictures, and then quickly tossed in the Polaroid of her and Steve before she gave herself the chance to look at it. Stevie slammed on the lid, and then set the box on the floor and quickly kicked it under the bed, out of sight even if she couldn't quite keep it out of her mind. Glancing around the room as she grappled with her composure, Stevie's eyes fell on a recent photograph of herself and Miles, and her cheeks warmed slightly. She could linger in the past in she chose to, but Stevie knew that if she did, she'd end up just like Claudia, and the last thing Stevie wanted to do was leave the people she loved feeling the way she did around her own mother, so she had to pull herself into the present, and start to live for the future instead.

* * *

Pete's frown lines were so deep that Stevie lost her focus for a moment as she wondered if she could insert a quarter between them. Her uncle's confused face was one of a kind, though Miles was doing a fairly good job of mimicking it from across the kitchen counter. Stevie hid her smirk as she ran her hand over the worn material of Pete's University of Minnesota hoodie, which was laid out in front of her along with Myka's pink tee.

"So, all of that, can be tied back to you," Myka murmured, her tone somewhere between incredulity and acceptance. Stevie nodded as she lifted her coffee cup and took a small sip. Knowing she owed her family an explanation as to where she'd been and how she'd gotten through it all, Stevie had finally presented Myka, Pete and Miles with a condensed version of her trip to the past. As she'd talked, retelling some of her favourite tales, she'd watched her aunt and uncle's faces react as small moments of recognition had come back to them, but Stevie could tell that the memory serum still held strong, and that they didn't actually remember her visit.

"Do you remember that day, when we just found ourselves all standing in that aisle, with no idea how we got there?" Myka asked her husband, rubbing at her nose absently. "We knew something was off, but..."

"We'd all been whammied so many times before," Pete acknowledged as he rested his elbows on the counter. "Kinda just shrugged it off, I guess. Though I do remember Claud looked like she'd been crying."

Stevie tried to ignore that comment, reaching for an oatmeal scotchie to stuff in her mouth instead. She caught Miles watching her closely, and she wrinkled her nose at him and flicked a crumb across the counter.

"I remember how some things just never made any sense," Myka said, breaking off a piece of cookie for herself and then sliding the rest towards Pete in a move that was so fluid it was clear neither of them even thought about it anymore. "We came home and there was a pile of clothes in the spare room that were my size, but definitely not something I would usually wear."

Stevie gave her aunt a mock-wounded look before she glanced down at her black denim shorts and purple and white halter top.

"You have a problem with my style?" she squeaked, but she was smirking to show how she was kidding around. Myka rolled her eyes good-humouredly.

"Cookies!" Pete exclaimed suddenly, spraying crumbs across the counter in his excitement. Miles dusted off his shirt in an over-exaggerated manner as he raised an eyebrow.

"Are you having a moment, Pop?" he asked. "Because yes, we're eating cookies right now."

Pete scowled.

"I know that, smart ass," he growled, and then looked at Myka. "There were cookies in the kitchen, when we came home that day, and we didn't know who made them, because..."

"No one had the recipe for scotchies," Myka finished, her eyes going wide. "Stevie, you made those?"

"Yeah," Stevie said proudly, straightening her shoulders. "Which funnily enough, means that even though you taught me how, I actually taught you."

"Man, I hate time travel," Pete whined, pouting slightly. "It hurts my head."

"Oh, Pete," Myka murmured with a smile, wandering around the counter and wrapping her arms around her husband's shoulders before kissing him on the temple. Stevie smirked as Miles looked slightly disgusted at the display of affection between his parents.

"So," Myka asked slowly, leaning her cheek against Pete's, "can we ask, about Steve?"

Stevie's smirk dropped, and she lowered her gaze to her black polished toenails. She sighed sadly.

"I don't think I can do it," Stevie rasped. "If I talk about him, I might... and then it might all just..."

"Right, ok!" Miles exclaimed quickly, ducking quickly to Stevie's side and practically shielding her from his parents. "I think we're done for now."

"Stevie, beautiful girl, you know we didn't mean to upset you," Myka murmured with a hint of concerned pleading, and Stevie cleared her throat as she slid off of her stool.

"I know," she whispered flatly. "I just can't right now." She glanced towards the doorway, bit her lip sadly, and then made to shuffle away, but she stopped when Miles brushed his fingers against her wrist.

"Just one more thing," he murmured gently, sliding his fingers lower so that he could lace them with Stevie's. Mildly curious, Stevie let Miles guide her back to his side. Miles gave her a reassuring smile, but Stevie also noted the soft blush that crept over his cheeks. Tightening his grip on her hand, Miles cleared his throat and then looked towards his parents.

"Mr and Mrs Lattimer," he said formally, "My name is Miles Warren Lattimer, and I would like to please request your permission, to take your niece, Stevie Donovan-Jinks, on a date."

Stevie felt the corners of her mouth twitch upwards despite herself, and she bit back the giggle the bubbled at the back of her throat. Myka and Pete, who had both been leaning against the kitchen counter, straightened as they exchanged a look, twin smiles of amusement creeping over their faces. Eyes sparkling, Pete placed his hands behind his back and stepped forward.

"That depends, young man," he said sternly, despite the teasing grin on his face. "Are your intentions honourable?"

"I can promise you, sir, that I have nothing but the utmost respect for your niece," Miles replied. By this point, Stevie was gaping at him slightly, still amused, but she could hear some seriousness in Miles's tone.

"Well, here's the thing, son," Myka chimed in, looping her arm through Pete's. "We're quite fond of our Stevie, but even though we only ever want what's best for her, she's always done things her own way."

Stevie watched as Myka's face softened slightly, into a gentle smile that Pete's face soon echoed.

"You have our blessing, Miles," Myka murmured fondly. "You always have. But the only person who can actually give you permission to date Stevie is the beautiful girl herself."

Stevie felt her face grow hot as Miles turned towards her, his eyes full of earnest hopefulness.

"What do you say, Stevie Faith?" he asked softly. "Tomorrow afternoon? Would you please, let me take you on a date?"

Stevie cleared her throat and looked down at her toes for a moment before she looked back into his eyes and offered him a slightly teasing grin.

"I suppose that would be ok," she said bashfully. Miles's face lit up, and Stevie chuckled under her breath.

"You need to work on your poker face, bud," she teased, and Miles rolled his eyes as he lifted one of her hands and kissed her knuckles.

"Hey, hey, hey, not in front of the dad!" Pete piped up, immediately yipping when Myka punched him in the arm, setting Stevie off in a fit of giggles as the Lattimers launched into lobbing quips and insults at each other. They'd bring her back, Stevie realised, to her life as it was. There was a dull ache that sat at the very back of her chest, right behind her heart, that she was sure would never really go away, but the Lattimers were her strongest supporters, and with them, she would always find home.


	25. Chapter 25

"Did I tell you how pretty you look this afternoon?" Miles asked from the driver's seat of the Chevy, glancing over at Stevie even as he changed gears. Stevie smiled back at him in amusement.

"Once or twice," she teased, flipping down the sun visor so that she could use the mirror to check that her scarlet lipstick was still perfect.

"Well, I mean it," Miles rumbled, clearing his throat. "You're beautiful, Stevie Faith."

In her reflection, Stevie watched the colour rise in her cheeks at the compliment before she turned the visor up again. She was wearing tight black jeans that were artistically ripped at the knees, and an off the shoulder blouse that was a shade of dusty blue, paired with strappy tan-coloured sandals that Myka had forced on her earlier that day. She'd curled her hair and then brushed it out so that it fell in soft waves, before artfully pinning a few strands into place so that the whole look presented as effortless. The red lipstick was a last minute decision. She'd never worn it before, but Stevie wanted this time spent with Miles to feel different than anything they'd done before. She'd known the moment she'd walked down the stairs, and found Miles staring at her in wide-eyed amazement, that she'd made the right choice.

"Where are you taking me, Miles Lattimer?" Stevie asked teasingly, glancing out the window at the passing landscape. "Should I be concerned?"

"You're safe with me, pretty girl," Miles smiled, shooting her a wink that caused Stevie to cough out a laugh. She crept a hand across the console and rested it on Miles's khaki-clad thigh, and felt a sense of satisfaction when her companion's cheeks went as red as her lipstick. The small talk continued as they drove, punctuated by chuckles and shy smiles, until Miles finally turned the Chevy up an unpaved driveway. Stevie shifted in her seat as she frowned slightly at the old barn that came into view.

"The old Smithfield place?" she asked cautiously, trying not to sound confused. It was a property they'd driven past more times than either of them could count, but as far as Stevie could remember, there was no real history or memory for them there. Miles grinned at her as he pulled the truck to a stop.

"Don't worry, I cleared it with the old man before we came out here," he told her. "We're going to have a little picnic. But what we're really here for, is that."

Miles was pointing out of the front window of the car, and Stevie followed the line of his extended finger. When she realised what it was they were looking at, her heart skipped a beat.

"How did you..." she whispered, blinking at Miles as tears prickled at the back of her eyes. Miles reached over and stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"Pop, he remembered some of the other things that were out of the ordinary after they took the memory serum," he explained. "He said that Steve and Claudia were particularly fond of the tyre swing that just randomly appeared in the backyard. Apparently it actually only came down when Ma found out she was pregnant."

Cheeks flaming as she thought back to how happy she'd been playing with Steve on their tyre swing, Stevie bit her lip and then let out a small laugh when Miles jumped out of his seat and hurried around the car to open Stevie's door. Together they retrieved the old family picnic blanket and the basket of food Miles had prepared from the back of the truck and then they stepped lightly across the yard so that they could set up their picnic. Settling herself onto a corner of the blanket, Stevie watched with amused admiration as Miles unloaded a spread of food; crusty bread, soft cheese, grapes, strawberries with a chocolate dipping sauce, tortilla chips, salsa, and a bag of Hersheys Kisses, accompanied by a bottle of sparkling apple juice.

"I figured if things were still going well, we could transfer to wine once we got home," Miles commented hesitantly, holding out a plastic champagne flute. Stevie chuckled softly as she accepted her drink, and then tapped the rim of the cup against Miles's.

"To best friends," she toasted with a smile.

"To taking a chance on something more," Miles countered. Stevie tried to hide her blush by bringing her cup to her lips, but it was Miles's turn to chuckle back at her. Clearing her throat as she set her cup aside, Stevie reached for a grape and then popped it into her mouth, tilting her head back to take in the warmth of the late afternoon sun. When she lowered her face again, she fixed Miles with her blue-eyed stare.

"That's a serious look," Miles said hesitantly, biting into a piece of bread and chewing slowly. Stevie grimaced slightly.

"Miles, before we get too into, you know, this," she murmured, "I think we should probably talk this through, like adults."

"Stevie," Miles spoke her name gently, but Stevie shook her head to cut him off.

"Miles, you're my best friend," Stevie stated. "You're more than my best friend. You're everything that's good in my world. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I think you know that's how I feel about you too," Miles told her. Stevie felt her stomach tighten, and she looked down at her fingers, absently twisting the braided gold ring she wore around her thumb.

"I need to tell you the truth about something pretty big," Stevie murmured uncomfortably, and Miles cocked his head. Stevie squeezed her eyes shut.

"Miles, I almost didn't come back," she whispered. Across the blanket, Miles sat up straight, his eyes going saucer-wide.

"You what?" he yelped, and Stevie flinched at the hurt in his tone, but she powered on.

"I've been overwhelmed by so much for so long. There was so much for me to deal with, to work through," she tried to explain. "My emotions were running on a pretty tight string. My dad, he... he was everything I could have imagined. It was like all of my dreams had come true. I was happy in the past, and I honestly could have stayed. A part of me... I wanted to stay."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Miles mumbled, throwing down what was left of the piece of bread he'd been eating. He looked like he'd been punched in the gut, and tears welled up in Stevie's eyes at the fact that she knew she was hurting her friend.

"There was just one problem," she whispered. "Steve, he knew it as well as I did. All he had to do was say it, and I knew I had no option but to come back home."

"And what, pray tell, did he have to say?" Miles muttered grumpily, tugging at a long blade of grass and avoiding looking directly at Stevie.

"Your name," Stevie sighed, and Miles's head shot up.

"I wanted to stay with my dad desperately," Stevie continued with a soft whimper, "but the second he said your name, my heart stopped beating, and that's when I knew that I really didn't have a choice. I couldn't stand the thought of living one more day without you, because I can't work through anything unless you're with me."

Miles's face softened, and when Stevie sniffled, he quickly scooted around the blanket so that he was sitting as close to Stevie as possible.

"I'm sorry," Stevie whispered, dropping her chin. "I just didn't want to lie to you." Her effort not to cry was mostly because of her desperate desire to control her emotions, but partly because she'd spent far too long on her eyeliner to smudge it with tears. Miles reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, leaving Stevie with no choice but to look into his celery-green eyes.

"I've had a really lucky life so far," Miles stated gruffly. "I've always had everything I've ever wanted, and I've never lost anyone I loved. And then all of a sudden, you were gone, and it was excruciating. I thought I knew everything about you, Stevie, but when you were missing, I learned how it must feel for you every single day. You never told me about that ache you carry around with you, the one in the back of your chest."

"You help me," Stevie murmured back. "You've always helped me. And that's why I've been so scared to do this. If something goes wrong... if I lost you..."

"You could never lose me," Miles cut in, stroking his finger across her cheek. His expression was serious, but Stevie couldn't help but chuff out a laugh.

"That's what my dad said," she murmured.

"Smart man," Miles quipped back, and Stevie giggled as she reached up and toyed with a lock of Miles's hair. She blew out a gentle breath.

"Here's the thing though," Stevie said, and Miles let out a small groan.

"Don't say it," he begged.

"You're not the only one I need, and this is why we need to talk," Stevie persevered. "Much as we'd both like to think otherwise, we're not the only people in this relationship."

Miles screwed up his face.

"You said it," he whined, and Stevie chuffed out a laugh.

"Curse my family," Miles muttered, but there was laughter dancing in his eyes.

"They're my family too," Stevie smiled fondly. "I love them very much."

"And you need to know that you're not going to lose them if things get messy," Miles rumbled, shifting around uncomfortably. Stevie nodded as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just want us to promise each other, that no matter what happens, no matter what anyone else tries to tell us, that we'll always be truthful with each other," she said. "If something doesn't feel right, we talk about it, and we work it out."

Stevie blushed as Miles picked up her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

"Believe it or not, Stevie Faith, but my world would be pretty dark without you too," Miles murmured, smiling at her fondly. "We're in this together. You jump, I jump, ok? And Lord help me, but let's face it, my family like you better than they like me. If anything goes wrong, it'll be me that ends up lost and alone. You will be absolutely fine."

Stevie chuckled as she shook her head, her cheeks growing warm as she looked down at their intertwined fingers.

"You jump, I jump?" she murmured enquiringly.

"I will always be there to catch you," Miles pledged. "And no matter what, I'll always be your best friend."

The pair sat there for a while, blue eyes studying green ones, cheeks flushed, smiles unwavering, and then Stevie gave Miles's hand a squeeze and got to her feet.

"Are we going to try out the swing or not?" she asked playfully, and then let out a laugh as Miles tucked an arm around her shoulders and led her towards the tree, pressing a kiss to her temple as they went. There were jokes exchanged as the branch and rope groaned under the weight of use, which turned into giggles and flirtatious comments as Miles placed his hands on the small of Stevie's back and propelled her forward.

"Hey, Stevie?" Miles offered up hesitantly after a moment. Still giggling from their previous exchange, Stevie tilted her head backwards so that she could look at him.

"This sounds serious," she quipped, crossing her eyes nonetheless. Miles cleared his throat and kicked at the ground uncomfortably.

"I think maybe you should try talking to Claudia," he suggested. Stevie let out a squawk of surprise, and then gaped at Miles as he caught the tyre and spun her around so that they were facing each other.

"Did I just hear you right?" Stevie squeaked in disbelief. "In twenty-one years, you have never, ever, been a fan of Claudia Donovan. I don't think you even spoke to her until we were thirteen!"

"Stevie, she's your mom," Miles murmured back, gritting his teeth, "and I just spent the last six weeks watching her positively lose her mind when she thought you were gone. Claudia loves you, and I know despite everything, you love her too."

"She's been AWOL for days!" Stevie cried. "I literally disappeared for six weeks, and she hasn't said a word to me since I got back. If Claudia really does love me, she has a weird way of showing it."

Miles huffed out a breath.

"Stevie, Claudia is so caught up in her own head," he said uneasily. "She just needs someone to break down that barrier..."

"Miles, I've been attempting to break down that barrier for my entire life!" Stevie shot back at him. "I'm tired of trying. I can't do it anymore. I want to move on and live my life."

Stevie was perched on top of the tyre, straddling the rope that she had a steady grip on. She looked down at Miles as he guided the tyre back to its hanging point and then rested his hands on Stevie's exposed knees. There was an unhappy pain in his eyes, and Stevie pursed her lips as she sighed and leaned her cheek against the rope.

"When we go back to school next week, I think it might be a while before I decide to come back to the B&B," she murmured. "I know that might mean that I miss a few holidays, and that it's probably going to upset your mother, but... I mean, you've said it yourself, Miles. When I come back to the Warehouse, I start to lose myself. I don't want to do that to myself anymore."

Miles blinked up at her for a long while, and then he blew out a breath.

"You are the strongest person I have ever met, Stevie Faith," he told her gently. "If this is what you think you need, I'll be there beside you, every step of the way."

"Even if it's not what you think is the right choice?" Stevie asked.

"Even then," Miles murmured back, and then he started to smirk. Surprised, Stevie raised a curious eyebrow.

"Ma's going to be so mad at you," Miles singsonged gleefully. "Oh, golden girl, you're going to be in so much trouble!"

Stevie rolled her eyes and swung out a leg in his general direction.

"Help me get down, smartass," she snarked, and Miles chuckled as he moved around the tyre to place his hands on Stevie's hips to help her dismount. When Stevie hit the ground, the toe of her sandal caught on a small rut in the ground, and she stumbled forward slightly. Miles smiled in soft amusement as he wrapped his arms around her waist to break her fall.

"Told you I'd catch you," he murmured cheekily. Stevie felt her cheeks grow warm as she lifted her hands to place them on the back of his neck, and she leaned forward to touch her nose to Miles's.

"My knight in shining armour," she whispered with a teasing smile.

"Partner in crime," Miles rumbled back, and Stevie giggled under her breath.

"Just shut up and kiss me," she demanded softly, but she still let out a soft squeak of surprise when Miles moved forward and did exactly what he was told. Stevie had been kissed quite a few times before, most times pleasurable, some not as much, but she'd never truly believed that a kiss could make time stand still until her best friend put his lips to hers. It was more than any words could describe; her heart danced in her chest, her body tingled all over, and her only thought was that she needed to get as close to Miles as possible. When the kiss ended, a whimper escaped from her before she had the chance to stop it. Opening her eyes slowly, Stevie found Miles studying her closely, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Was that..." he asked tentatively. "Was that weird?"

"Miles, that was the opposite of weird," Stevie told him, her voice unwavering. She couldn't stop the smile that formed on her face as Miles's own expression softened into unbridled delight, and she moved a little closer so that their foreheads could touch.

"We should try it again, just to be sure," Stevie whispered teasingly, and Miles chuckled as he nuzzled her nose.

"If you insist," he murmured back. Stevie took the initiative this time, capturing his lips with hers and pressing herself against Miles as his hands travelled up her back and tangled into her hair. They were like one person, and Stevie wondered why she hadn't realised sooner that Miles Lattimer was and always would be her safest place. While there would always be a void in her heart where her missing parents should be, Miles did so much to fill that without even knowing what he was achieving. Miles felt like home, and Stevie knew she'd always be thankful to her dad, for sending her back to her loved one's arms.


	26. Chapter 26

It took Myka all of two hours after Miles and Stevie returned to the B&B, cheeks flushed and joy radiating off of them, to declare an open-door policy if the happy couple were alone in a room together. The rule made no difference to the new pairing; once they'd discovered how much they enjoyed making out, they took every opportunity they could to do so, and it wasn't long before the entire Warehouse contingent was catching them in the act. Whilst they'd clearly found it highly amusing, Stone and Montgomery had needed to chase Miles and Stevie out of the stacks when they'd stumbled across the pair coming very close to upsetting a whole shelf of volatile artifacts. Pete had not been quite as entertained when he'd found Stevie tangled around his son on the front porch swing of the B&B. He'd complained so loudly and for so long about it that Stevie and Miles had wisely chosen to escape the house to avoid any further confrontation. They'd spent a good part of that night parked at the old Smithfield property, steaming up the windows of the Chevy and then tracing their initials on the glass even as they continued to kiss and touch as much as possible. Myka had still been awake and waiting for them when the pair had returned to the B&B, and while she hadn't actually chastised them, Stevie had unwillingly suggested to Miles as they said goodnight that they should tone down the public displays of affection until they returned to school so as not to mortally offend anyone else in the family. She'd then succumbed to a fit of giggles for at least five minutes at Miles's disappointed expression as he reluctantly agreed. The following morning the couple were sitting at opposite ends of the couch watching a movie when Pete stumbled into the living room with his hands clamped firmly over his eyes. As Stevie snorted in amusement, Miles cast a perturbed look towards his father.

"Ah, Pop?" he questioned slowly. "Whatcha doin?"

"Are you decent?" Pete demanded. "My old man eyes can't take any more of you two all over each other! She's like my daughter!"

"Uncle Pete, we're barely even touching," Stevie smirked, and Pete inched two of his fingers apart so that he could peer towards them. When he found that the only contact between the pair was Stevie's feet rested in Miles's lap, he let out a grateful sigh and finally dropped his hands.

"No one is happier than me that you two are together, but the PDA's are gross," he stated emphatically. Fondly rolling her eyes, Stevie deliberately dragged her big toe up and down Miles's forearm, and then snickered when Pete whined.

"Where you looking for something, Pop?" Miles asked, catching Stevie's foot and giving it a squeeze as he shot her a chastising look. Pete folded his arms across his chest and flicked his eyes towards the window.

"I'd sleep easier knowing that you'd serviced the truck before you drive back to Minnesota," he mumbled, and this time it was Miles's turn to smirk.

"I sense a ploy to separate us," he quipped to Stevie. "Are you getting that vibe?"

"I'm not the one who gets vibes," Stevie snickered back at him. "But I do admire your ability to pick up on the soft subtlety of the suggestion."

Pete pursed his lips as Stevie and Miles sat giggling at each other at Pete's expense.

"You two are hilarious," he sneered, and then huffed out a breath. "Would you mind telling Myka that I worked my persuasive charm on you anyway?"

Shaking his head in amusement, Miles gently pushed Stevie's feet to the floor as he got to his feet, but before he followed his father out of the room, he ducked down and stole a cheeky kiss from Stevie, who laughed against his lips as Pete let out another pained groan. Chuckling under her breath as she was left alone, Stevie tried to turn her attention back to the movie in front of her, but she hadn't really been watching in the first place, and she'd seen it all before anyway. Shutting off the television, Stevie stretched out her legs and then ran her fingers through her tousled hair before she got to her feet and padded to the staircase. She and Miles were due to return to the university within days; they'd missed the first week of classes, but Myka had worked her behind the scenes connections to ensure that neither of them would be penalised in any way for doing so. Stevie was already receiving innumerable messages, videos and calls from her cheerleading squad, desperate for their leader, and a big part of Stevie was looking forward to getting back to her friends, even though if she thought about the situation too much, a small lingering pang formed in her gut. Huffing out a breath, Stevie finished climbing the stairs and headed for her bedroom, figuring that she should take the opportunity to start packing up her things for the journey back to Minnesota. There was a basket of clean laundry at the end of her bed that she quickly folded, and then she rounded up some of her shoes and other training wear. Glancing around the room with a slight frown on her face, Stevie realised that she must have stashed her travel bags away during her previous clean-up. Sighing as she cursed her own organisation, she dropped to her knees and thrust her arm under her bed, wrapping her hand around the handle of her bag and giving it a tug, frowning when it didn't move forward easily like she expected it to. Tugging a little harder, Stevie grunted and then let out a little squeak of shock when the bag finally came free. The forward momentum brought not only the bag she gripped out from under the bed, but a box that immediately tipped on its side and spilled its contents across the floor.

"Typical," Stevie murmured under her breath, placing her bag aside and moving to gather up the papers, but a lead weight immediately formed in her stomach when her fingertips grazed that photograph she'd been trying to forget ever since she'd returned from the past. She drew her lower lip between her teeth as she picked up the Polaroid, studying the line of Steve's face and remembering how safe she'd felt in his arms that day. Stevie let out a shuddering sigh. She'd fought so hard to keep a lid on her memories since she'd come back, because she'd known that just one slip would bring it all back; the hurt of what she'd lost burned in her chest so badly she thought she might actually scream aloud. Steve's words played on her mind; the way he'd promised to look after Claudia, but also the way he'd asked Stevie to do the same for him in her own time. Miles's plea for Stevie to give her mother a chance still echoed in her head as well, and Stevie swallowed at the lump that formed in her throat as she found the black and silver guitar pick that had fallen from the box as well. Steeling herself as her thoughts ticked over, Stevie got to her feet and placed both the photograph and the guitar pick into the pocket of the light cardigan she wore, and then tentatively crept down her staircase, stepping lightly to avoid the creaking boards. Moving almost on autopilot, Stevie turned hard on her exit from the attic and with only the slightest of hesitation put her hand on the doorknob of the closest bedroom and pushed the door open, striding into the room with a propelled feeling of purpose. Claudia, who was sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed scrolling through a tablet computer, looked suitably startled at the sudden intrusion into her bedroom.

"Stevie," she gasped out, placing the tablet aside as she looked up at her daughter. "What, um, what are you..."

Ignoring Claudia's stammering, Stevie strode to the corner of the room and picked up the acoustic guitar that had been housed there as long as she could remember, and then turned and held it out to towards her mother.

"Play," she demanded flatly, her face a blank canvas. Claudia sat up straight, her Bambi eyes as comically wide as they'd ever been.

"I'm sorry?" she rasped throatily. "I haven't... I mean, I don't think..."

Holding the guitar by its neck, Stevie continued to stare her mother down as she used her spare hand to fish around in the pocket of her cardigan, and then held out the black and silver guitar pick. She could see the panic spreading in Claudia's eyes, but she held her ground nonetheless.

"You promised me," Stevie said evenly. "You gave me this, and you told me to not back down, to not let you turn away." Her body jolted involuntarily as her throat threatened to close up, and tears formed in her eyes.

"I've never asked you for anything," she whimpered. "I stopped trying to get you to care years ago. But you promised me that you'd never forget. You promised that you'd listen."

Claudia was still staring at her, mouth slightly agape. Stevie's heart was hammering in her chest.

"Please don't make me beg," she whispered forlornly. Before her, Claudia's face softened, and she held out a hand that Stevie noted was shaking slightly. Stevie handed over the guitar, watching as Claudia balanced the instrument on her knee, and then passed her the pick before she took a seat on a nearby chair. Claudia tentatively plucked out a few notes, and then moved her fingers up the frets of the guitar to tighten the strings.

"I haven't done this is a while," Claudia spoke nervously, a hesitant laugh echoing on the back of her words. "I might be a bit rusty."

Stevie didn't reply, only sniffled slightly as she folded one of her long legs over the other. Claudia swallowed hard.

"Did you have a certain song in mind?" she asked tentatively.

"All You Wanted," Stevie answered, watching closely to see if there was any spark of recognition in Claudia's eyes. Claudia just continued to look hesitant, her fingers fiddling with the guitar strings, but then she looked down and strummed out the first familiar notes of the song. When Claudia started to sing, Stevie had to fight back the overwhelming urge to burst into tears, clenching her hands so tightly that she could feel her fingernails biting into her palms.

"... and I got swept away," Claudia crooned, lifting her gaze to meet Stevie's.

"I didn't know that it was so cold, and you needed someone to show you the way," Stevie belted back, watching as Claudia's eyes went wide in surprise. "So I took your hand and we figured out that, when the tide comes I'd take you away."

Their voices blended over the chorus, both of the Donovan women throwing themselves into the song even as they barely broke eye contact. It was clear that both of them were connecting on an emotional level with the lyrics, but they were also both watching each other, waiting for some sort of drop in defence. It took a moment, but Stevie was almost sure that she saw the light change in Claudia's eyes as they slid into the final bars of the song, and Claudia stopped singing.

"Please can you tell me, so I can finally see, where you go when you're gone," Stevie carried the song home, and then held her breath uncertainly as Claudia quickly put her guitar to one side. The redhead's eyes were like saucers, and Stevie watched her with slight trepidation. It felt like a lifetime before either of them moved, and the Claudia opened her mouth and gasped out a single word.

"McFly?"


	27. Chapter 27

Stevie's heart leapt into her throat, and for a moment she saw stars.

"You remember?" she queried hesitantly, inching forward on her seat. Claudia looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"That song," she rasped. "I remember that afternoon in the coffee shop, and how angry I was at your mom, and the things I promised you... McFly... kid... oh, Stevie."

There was absolute distress written all over Claudia's face, and it was enough to cause the tears Stevie had been holding back to start to trickle down her cheeks.

"All those things you told us about your mother," Claudia whispered, her voice trembling. "All those times you said you didn't want to go home... that was all because of me. I'm so stupid. What have I done?"

Stevie gaped at her mother. Her emotions were like a twisting vortex that she could no longer keep hidden. Squeezing her eyes shut for a split second, Stevie suddenly let out a shriek of distressed anger.

"What have you been doing my whole life?" Stevie screeched at her mother, who recoiled slightly at the verbal attack. "Back in the past, I met the most incredible woman in the world. She was loving, and kind, and so full of life! Do you have any idea what that felt like, knowing that I have missed out on a life with that amazing person? I'm your daughter! You were supposed to love me!"

"I do love you!" Claudia hollered back at her without warning, pushing her guitar further backwards as she scrambled off the bed to begin pacing around the room. "That's the whole problem!"

"What?" Stevie howled incredulously, Claudia's words slicing through her like a knife. "Loving me is a problem?"

Claudia's face screwed up in anguish.

"That's not what I meant," she rasped, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Oh, I'm sorry, how else was that supposed to be interpreted?" Stevie snapped, scrabbling out of her chair.

"You don't understand," Claudia whimpered as she backed away slightly. "It was just so hard."

Stevie's upper lip curled up in disgust.

"I can't believe I even tried talking to you," she bit out, pushing herself to her feet and making for the door.

"I lost the best friend I've ever had!" Claudia shouted, causing Stevie to stop in her tracks. She turned slowly and found Claudia quivering, her hands twisting around the hem of her cotton tee.

"I loved him!" Claudia sobbed. "I loved him more than anyone else in the world, and he was taken away from me without any kind of warning, and it broke me! Everyone I've ever loved has left me behind, and with Steve gone... I just didn't want to live anymore! I was destroyed!"

Claudia paused, clearly gasping for air as she fought through her sobs. Stevie was trembling where she stood, hiccupping as her own tears fell.

"I was so mad at him," Claudia mewled, squeezing her eyes shut even as she cried. "How could he leave me like that? How could he leave me pregnant, and all alone, when I couldn't even look after myself, let alone another human being. I was so mad at him. I'm still so mad at him!"

"So you took it out on me?" Stevie squeaked in disbelief. "I was just a baby."

"I told myself that if I didn't love you, I couldn't get hurt again," Claudia sobbed. "If I didn't love you, I couldn't lose you, like I lost everyone else."

"So you just palmed me off on Pete and Myka without a second thought?" Stevie coughed out.

"All I did was think about it!" Claudia yowled. "But I couldn't give you what you needed! Myka and Pete took care of you. They love you!"

"They have their own family!" Stevie cried. "What you did was totally unfair, to me and especially to them. You are so incredibly selfish."

Claudia stared back at her for a moment, mouth slightly open, and then her face crumpled.

"I know," she squeaked out. "But I was so broken, and I couldn't face the idea of losing everything all over again."

Stevie found herself mirroring Claudia's expression from only seconds before, but it dissolved into disgusted anger as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I deserved so much more than this," she muttered angrily.

Claudia looked down at her toes as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"I know," she repeated again, her voice small. "I'm sorry."

It was like the weight of the world suddenly came down on Stevie's shoulders; like her heart and soul just couldn't take another moment of the anger, of the pain, of the heartbreak that had dictated her entire life. Everything hurt. When Claudia slowly lifted her gaze from the floor, her big coffee-coloured eyes reflecting that same pain and heartbreak, Stevie burst into tears, each sob wracking her body as she fought to keep herself on her feet.

"I can't do this anymore," she squeaked dejectedly, swaying slightly as she slumped her shoulders downwards. "I want my daddy back."

Stevie was crying so hard that she didn't even see Claudia's approach, and her mother's arms were so suddenly around her that Stevie didn't really have time to process the action. Overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of everything she felt, Stevie stiffened for a moment, and then collapsed into the embrace, sobbing as she clung desperately to Claudia. Claudia was crying too, but she still managed to make soothing noises as she rocked her daughter back and forth.

"I want him too," Claudia whispered sadly. "I want him every day."

"It's not fair!" Stevie howled. "I didn't get enough time! He called me his perfect girl, but it was him! He was the one that was perfect."

Claudia slowly let go of Stevie, but as she pulled away she lifted a hand to cup her daughter's cheek. Her eyes were wide with trepidation. Stevie hiccupped, her whole body shaking.

"Did you...?" Claudia whispered hesitantly. "Stevie, did Steve know? Did you tell him that he was your father?"

Stevie sniffled as she nodded shortly, and then watched through watery eyes as Claudia's lower lip started to tremble.

"I hated that he never knew," she rasped out. "I hated myself so much for not figuring it out in time to tell him. He would have been such a good dad."

Stevie lowered her hand into her cardigan pocket and shakily retrieved the Polaroid she had brought back with her from the past. She sniffled as she held the picture up for Claudia to see.

"He was the best dad in the world," she whimpered. "I never felt safer than I did when he was with me."

"Oh, Jinksy," Claudia breathed, trembling fingertips gently removing the photograph from her daughter's hands. "I remember this day. I remember thinking how obvious it was that he cared about you. It made me really happy, because he was happy."

"Do you want to know what made me happy?" Stevie murmured, and Claudia's inquisitive eyes flicked up from the photo to meet Stevie's. Stevie blew out a shaky breath. She could already feel her face crumpling as she lost the fight not to cry again.

"Steve really loved you," Stevie squeaked, reaching out unconsciously and brushing a loose strand of Claudia's hair off of her forehead. "Dear God, he loved you, and that just filled me with so much joy every day, because I have lived my whole life wondering if he even cared enough for you to be the reason why you shut me out."

"Stevie," Claudia whispered in an attempt at soothing her daughter, but Stevie shook her head emphatically to cut her off.

"Seeing you guys together, it was just how I pictured it," the blonde girl continued. "And then when he found out he was my dad, and that he died, he just... Steve... Mom, his first thought was you."

Stevie exhaled shakily, like she was trying to calm herself down, but her body continued to quiver.

"He loved you, and the moment he knew, Steve had no hesitation in loving me just as much," she said softly. "The thing is, I've spent my whole life thinking that if Steve had just been here, with us, that things would have been better for all of us. I mean, I wouldn't have made that wish to meet him otherwise, but once I had that chance to be with him, and get to know both of you, the way you were... I will always want my daddy here, that will never fade, but he's not the person I miss the most."

Claudia didn't speak; instead her cheeks went scarlet as her eyes welled with tears again.

"Stevie, I don't know what I can say," she murmured. "Sorry just doesn't seem like enough."

"That's because it's not," Stevie whined, using a knuckle to catch the tears under her eyes. "You should have been there for me, Mom! Having you just out of reach my entire life broke my heart more than being without a father ever did."

"I was so stupid," Claudia said, her voice cracking. "What I tried to do didn't even work. When you disappeared that day... that was the worst pain I ever felt in my life."

Stevie turned her head to the side as she swiped under her nose with the back of her hand all while avoiding meeting Claudia's eyes.

"My heart hurts, Mom," the blonde girl hicupped. "I'm so confused. I want you; I want my mom, but I don't know how to forgive you. I don't even know if I can."

Claudia backed up slowly and gently sat back down on the end of the bed.

"How are you supposed to forgive me, when I don't even know how to forgive myself?" she quipped weakly, looking down at the Polaroid still clasped in her fingers. Stevie swayed on the spot that she stood for a while, her heart torn between fleeing or just completely breaking down instead, but she steeled herself and then, very hesitantly, stepped across the room and sat down next to her mother. She swallowed hard as she reached over and took the photograph from Claudia's fingers.

"I think he'd want us to try," she whispered, and Claudia's head shot up, her eyes wide as she shifted slightly to face her daughter.

"I promised him that I'd look after you," Stevie sniffled, swallowing against the lump in her throat as she tapped a fingernail against Steve's face.

"But I'm supposed to look after you," Claudia countered tentatively, and Stevie coughed out a laugh that contained an echo of surprise.

"That's exactly what I told him," she said. A smile tugged on the corners of Claudia's lips. She was blushing again.

"I can't bring back the past, Stevie," Claudia said softly. "And I don't think I'll ever be able to express how sorry I am about that. But I want to try to give us a future, if you'll let me."

Stevie inched out a hand until her fingers rested over Claudia's. Both of them were breathing shallowly, and Stevie wondered if her mother's heart was beating as fast as hers was.

"You know that this is going to be hard work, right?" Stevie murmured. "There are going to be days where I won't want to be around you. I might even say that I hate you. But you can't retreat again, ok? If you do... there's no second chance for us. You get that, right?"

Claudia blew out a low breath.

"You want your mom back," she finally affirmed. "I want my kid back. I think we're on the same page."

Feeling her own cheeks grow warm, Stevie lifted her free hand and smoothed her hand over Claudia's face, tucking the redhead's loose hair behind her ear, and then she left her palm there, fingers gently resting on the back of Claudia's neck. Claudia's big brown eyes flicked from side to side as they took in Stevie's face.

"Perfect girl," she whispered. "Steve had it right the whole time."

Stevie gave a soft snort, but didn't make to move away from her mother.

"I'm far from perfect," she commented, the corner of her mouth tilting upwards. "But that's for you to learn, I guess."

Claudia smiled, a proper teeth-baring, nose-crinkling smile that in turn made Stevie's cheeks grow warm. Turning over her hand that rested on the bed, Claudia intertwined her fingers with Stevie's.

"I have so much to learn," Claudia murmured. "Honestly, kid, I can't wait."


	28. Chapter 28

"Don't get pregnant."

Stevie's eyes went saucer-wide, and she started splutter slightly. She would have taken a surprised step backwards if it weren't for the fact that Myka's hands were clamped firmly on her shoulders. A glance towards Claudia only revealed an expression of mild amusement, the redhead's lips twitching as she fought back what could only be laughter. Stevie turned her head so that she could whine over her shoulder.

"Miles!"

Behind her, Miles grunted as he hefted the last of Stevie's bags into the back of the Chevy, and then sighed as he turned towards where his mother and his girlfriend stood.

"Ma, you seriously have no chill switch," Miles complained, wiping his hands on his jeans. "We haven't even gone that far yet."

Stevie felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Do we really need to be having this conversation?" she whined, sliding her hand into Miles's as he stepped up beside her.

"Yes, we do," Myka said emphatically, finally releasing Stevie from her hold so that she could instead fold her arms over her chest. "Just because you haven't, doesn't mean that you won't, and I want you both to know right now that I am too young for grandchildren."

Stevie shot another pleading glance in her mother's direction.

"Hey, if she's too young for grandchildren, I'm definitely too young for them," Claudia quipped, shrugging her shoulders. Stevie wrinkled her nose at her.

"Some help you are," she muttered, and Claudia chuckled under her breath. Stevie rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the beginnings of a smile that formed on her lips. She'd spent the past two days spending as much time with her mother as she could, as they endeavoured to find their way back to each other. It hadn't all been smooth sailing; in fact, there had been a screaming match on the first day that went on for so long that all three Lattimers had come stampeding up the staircase to break up the fight; but for the most part, Stevie and Claudia had taken what Stevie really felt like were steps in a better direction for their relationship. Through the inevitable tears, they'd stumbled over similarities that had caught them off-guard and had brought on unexpected laughter. Stevie's constant desire for coffee was suddenly explained; even though Claudia had diligently switched to decaf, her craving throughout her pregnancy had been cappuccinos. They both obviously had a talent for carrying a tune, though Claudia had laughed when Stevie admitted she couldn't read sheet music to save herself. Little habits, like the way they both wrinkled their noses when they laughed, revealed themselves without being searched for, and Claudia was also quick to point out characteristics of Steve's that had manifested in his daughter. Claudia had been profusely apologetic about the lack of support provided in regards to the human lie detector gene, but Stevie had in turn placated her with tales of where the hidden talent had gotten her out of some sticky situations.

"Do you think that, one day, I'll be called on to be the Caretaker?" Stevie had asked tentatively. She'd never brought it up before, not with anybody, but the thought that one day the Warehouse would want to claim her had played on Stevie's mind for years. Claudia had been quick enough to see the worry that flashed in Stevie's eyes.

"It's no secret that the Warehouse has always looked after you, kid," the redhead had stated gently. "But it doesn't own you. You'll always have a choice." She'd paused to smile.

"Besides, I plan on holding on to my job for a very long time."

The pair still had a lot to catch up on, but they had years to recover and only days to do it in. In the end, they'd had to settle for making plans, and agreeing to open channels of communication. The invitation from Claudia to join those communication channels had been extended to the entire Warehouse family over the dinner that had been hastily organised by Myka on Stevie and Miles's last night at the B&B. Stevie had sat at the end of the table, trying to contain the pure joy she felt as she watched her mother truly interact for the first time since Stevie could remember with the people she loved the most. Stone, Montgomery, Clark, and Rogers, had all been somewhat skittish as they attempted conversation with the Caretaker for the first time. Stevie could understand their hesitation; by the time the agents had all come on board, Claudia had been more of a presence in the Warehouse than an actual life force, but all the same, their tentative attempts at engagement were amusing to observe. Clearly a little hesitant herself, Claudia had answered questions about artifact retrievals of the past, but had then proceeded to floor the entire table by telling a story laden with so much innuendo that at one point even Pete was blushing. Stevie had laughed so hard at everyone's shocked faces that she'd actually snorted and then promptly fell off of her chair. She couldn't stop herself from smirking even as she thought about it again, and Myka narrowed her eyes warningly at her niece.

"Just... use protection," Myka finally conceded, and Miles made a small groaning sound as he rolled his eyes.

"Why can't this family just have a normal conversation?" he snarked, giving Stevie's hand a squeeze just as Pete clomped down the front steps of the B&B.

"You, me, talk, now," Pete barked, pointing at his son and then nodding towards the Chevy.

"God help me," Miles muttered under his breath, but nonetheless disentangled his fingers from Stevie's and followed after his father. Already smirking, Myka followed after her two favourite men, leaving Stevie blinking cautiously towards Claudia, who looked back at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Please don't tell me you want to have that talk too," Stevie requested, almost pleadingly, and Claudia offered a ghost of a smile.

"If you knew just how awkward the talk was between me and Artie, you'd understand why that will never happen with us," she quipped dryly. Stevie giggled despite herself and watched as Claudia stepped forward, wrapping her arms around herself as a blush rose in her cheeks.

"I'm going to come to a game this year," she promised softly. "More than one. And the competitions too. I want to see you cheering."

"It's ok if you don't," Stevie said shyly. "I mean, I know how busy you can get with the Warehouse..."

"The Warehouse has had me for long enough," Claudia interjected firmly. "It can go a weekend or two without me."

Stevie didn't bother to try and mask the joy that crept over her face as an excited tingle ran down her spine.

"Thanks, Mom," she murmured happily. Claudia stuck one of her thumbnails between her teeth for a moment and kicked shyly at the ground before she looked up at Stevie again.

"Is it ok if I hug you?" she requested tentatively. Delighted, Stevie took a small step forward and nodded her consent, which was enough for Claudia to close the gap between them, wrapping her arms around Stevie's waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. Stevie inhaled deeply, committing her mother's scent to memory while still marvelling that after all that had passed between them, that exact moment was where they had found themselves. They stood that way for a long while, and only relaxed their hold when somebody loudly cleared their throat behind them. Flaring her nostrils slightly, Stevie glanced over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at Miles, who stood watching them with his parents flanking him on either side. Pete and Myka looked elated, while Miles simply glanced at his watch.

"We really have to go," he told Stevie with a wry smile.

"If you didn't drive like a grandma, we'd make better time," Stevie shot back at him with a teasing grin. Rolling his eyes, Miles pulled the Chevy keys out of his pocket and headed for the driver's side of the truck. When Stevie turned back towards her mother, Claudia reached up a hand and stroked a thumb over Stevie's cheek.

"I'll see you soon, kid," she stated firmly. Even though Stevie nodded in reply, she still couldn't bring herself to move. She bit her lip hesitantly.

"Maybe I should stay..." she whispered. Claudia's cheeks turned pink in embarrassment.

"Stevie, I know I don't have the best track record, but can I ask you to, I dunno, maybe... keep the faith?" she asked softly. Stevie blinked at her for a moment, and then laughed bashfully.

"Geez, Mom," she snickered, and Claudia smirked as she looked up at her daughter.

"I'll be there, baby," she whispered. "I promise."

"Ok," Stevie whispered back, and this time she finally took a step backwards so that she could make her way to the truck. Myka caught her niece in a warm hug, and then Pete wrapped an arm around Stevie's shoulders as he led her around to the passenger side door.

"You'll look after her, right?" Stevie murmured softly, and Pete chuckled as he pressed a kiss to Stevie's temple.

"I won't take my eyes off of her," he promised, but then he screwed up his nose. "Except, you know, when she pulls the Caretaker trick and disappears. That part makes it a bit harder."

Stevie laughed and gave her uncle an enthusiastic hug before she climbed into the Chevy, letting Pete close the door behind her. Miles smiled at her from the driver's side, drumming his hands on the wheel.

"Ready to ride, pretty girl?" he drawled. Stevie snorted as she buckled her seatbelt and then lowered her window. Miles started the car, and then leaned out of his own window so that his mother could kiss him goodbye one more time. Claudia had wandered around to stand next to Pete, and Stevie offered them a smile that only grew when Pete casually slung an arm around Claudia's shoulders like it wasn't something he hadn't done in over twenty years. Claudia instantly looked uncomfortable, but she didn't try to pull away, and a sense of relief settled over Stevie as came to accept that she was leaving her mother in good hands.

"Bye," she offered up gently, and both Claudia and Pete lifted their hands to wave as Miles shifted the truck into gear and they finally headed off. Stevie watched in the side mirror as Myka walked over to join Pete and Claudia, and then snickered to herself when Pete smothered both his wife and the Warehouse Caretaker in an enthusiastic hug. As they rounded the corner out of the driveway and the B&B finally disappeared from sight, Stevie sighed and adjusted her seat so that she could stretch herself out. Miles glanced over at her, his expression fond but also gentle.

"You know that she's going to be fine, Stevie girl," he murmured reassuringly. "You both are."

"Yeah, I know," Stevie said back, absently toying with the batwing pendant at her throat. She'd offered to give the necklace back to her mother, but Claudia had resolutely turned her down, claiming that she liked knowing that there was a part of her that her daughter carried with her. Stevie could only imagine how Steve would feel about that, and how everything had played out, but with every beat of her heart she wanted to believe that he would be overjoyed that they'd made it as far as they had. She was confident that Steve was watching over them, and that his love and faith would fuel her own as she rebuilt her relationship with Claudia. Stevie glanced over at Miles again, who caught her staring and winked at her before turning his eyes back to the road. Feeling her cheeks turn scarlet, Stevie couldn't stop the smile that formed on her lips. She wasn't sure if she could say that she was happy yet, but between meeting her father and falling in love with the boy at her side, she'd already proven that wishes could come true, and with that knowledge came a sense of contentment that she'd never really felt before. There was still a long road ahead of Stevie, and of Claudia as well, but suddenly they were facing it together, and Stevie couldn't help but look forward to what the future could bring.


	29. Chapter 29

Claudia and Stevie stood staring at the gate in front of them, both suddenly hesitant about progressing any further. Folding her arms across her chest as she tried to slow down her own racing heart, Stevie glanced over at her mother, who blew out a shaky breath as she steadfastly avoided eye contact. Claudia used a boot-clad toe to kick at a lump of snow on the pavement, and then rubbed at the tip of her nose with a gloved hand.

"You know, we don't have to do this," Claudia murmured, her breath clouding in front of her as she spoke. Stevie coughed out a small bemused laugh.

"We came all this way," she shot back. "You really want to walk away now?"

"It's freezing," Claudia pointed out, indicating not only her own winter attire, but Stevie's own heavy winter jacket, scarf, and knitted hat. "We could just go to a cafe, or a bar. He's not really here. He won't know any different."

Stevie's face softened as she drew her bottom lip between her teeth, and then she exhaled her own shaky breath.

"Gravestones aren't meant for the dead, Mom," she said gently. "They're meant for the living. It's the anniversary of Daddy's death. We're missing Christmas at the B&B for this. We're going in."

Claudia let out a small whine, and it was then that Stevie noticed the tears brimming in her mother's eyes.

"Mom, it's going to be ok," Stevie murmured reassuringly, and Claudia pursed her lips for a moment. Stevie could see that her mother's breathing was growing shallow.

"I never came here," Claudia admitted, a hint of shame in her tone. "When Emma asked if she could bring him back here to Jersey, so that he could be buried with his sister, I said it was ok, and I made out like I was making that decision for her, but..."

"You were pregnant, and emotional, and you'd just lost your best friend," Stevie cut in before the octaves in her mother's voice got any higher. "I don't think anyone could blame you for doing what you did."

"But I should have visited," Claudia insisted firmly, swiping roughly at the tear that crept down her cheek. "I should have brought you here sooner. I'm sorry, Stevie."

"You brought me here now," Stevie said with a reassuring smile, reaching out and taking her mother's hand. "Which is why we're going into this cemetery, so that we can tell Steve all about just how far we've come."

Claudia exhaled loudly, but all the same she gave Stevie's hand a squeeze, and together they stepped through the gates of the New Jersey graveyard that Steve had been laid to rest in over two decades before. As they walked, snow crunching underfoot was the only audible sound, and Stevie took a moment to reflect on how her relationship with Claudia had grown since their tearful reunion several months before. They'd had a shaky start; with Stevie in her senior year, the pressure was on her to study hard, to lead her cheer squad to victory and to keep what had always been her very busy social life in order. Once she added her still blossoming romance with Miles to her schedule, Stevie quickly found that any spare time was at a premium, and simply because she'd never had to before, she struggled to fit Claudia into her life. Stevie's immediate reaction was to panic, because an overenthusiastic Claudia called whenever she seemed to have a spare moment. Stevie had only just gotten her mother back, and the thought that Claudia might view a lack of communication as a push away terrified Stevie, so instead she spread herself far too thin, taking phone calls from Claudia at odd hours, skipping classes, and tearing from one end of the campus to the other as she fought to keep up. She'd clearly hidden her stress well, but that had eventually come unstuck when Miles had come to collect her for a date and found his girlfriend crying in her underwear in the middle of her dorm room, surrounded by a mound of dirty clothes because she'd neglected to find time to do her laundry. After calming a hysterical Stevie down, and finally pinpointing the root of the problem, Miles had forced a phone into Stevie's hands and insisted that she tell Claudia that she needed to take a step back.

"Kid, I already told you, I'm not going anywhere," Claudia soothed via the video call. "I know it's hard... God, look at you. You should have said something."

"It's not that I don't want to talk to you," Stevie whined back, twisting a lock of her hair around her finger. Miles had taken all of Stevie's clothes to the laundry room while she talked to her mother, so Stevie sat curled up on her bed, wrapped in nothing but a towel. "I just... in the past... I filled my days up so that I didn't have time to think about..."

"Me," Claudia finished flatly, huffing out a frustrated breath. "Frack."

"Sorry," Stevie winced, and Claudia rolled her eyes in reply.

"I just feel like we're in this constant state of apology," she stated. "We need to get over this, kid, so here's the deal. Stick to your routine; go cheer, and study, and make out with your boyfriend. I'll be here when you're done."

"You're still coming to the game though, right?" Stevie asked quickly. "With Uncle Pete?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Claudia smiled with a quick wink. She'd been true to her word, turning up in the stands with Pete in tow, and making Stevie laugh when she made a very motherly comment after the game about how cold it was and the length of Stevie's skirt. Their relationship had stuttered along from there, with a few minor hurdles that they overcame in their usual awkward fashion, until Claudia's very hesitant suggestion that they travel to New Jersey over the Christmas break to see Steve. Stevie had been understandably cautious about being alone with Claudia in such a highly emotional setting, but now that they were together in the cemetery, she couldn't help but feel like they'd made the right choice.

"Here it is," Claudia whispered, snapping Stevie out of her thoughts. Her stomach tightened for a moment, but then she took a quick step forward and crouched down in front of the headstone Claudia had indicated to gently brush aside the snow that coated it.

"Hey, Aunt Liv," Stevie murmured as she revealed the letters of Olivia Jinks's name, and then she smiled fondly.

"Hi, Daddy."

Stevie heard Claudia emit a squeak behind her, but rather than react to it, she continued her conversation with her father.

"I've missed you," Stevie said softly, tracing a finger over the numbers that indicated the date of Steve's death. "I'm not going to lie, Dad, there have been a few times in the last few months where I really could have used your guidance."

The cemetery was quiet, but rather than finding it eerie, Stevie found the lack of noise oddly soothing. Glancing around for a moment, and then seeing no other option, Stevie planted herself down in the snow, and tucked her knees up to her chest.

"My squad missed out on going to Nationals," she reported with a soft sigh. "Some of the girls got food poisoning the day before the competition, and my second-string, they weren't ready, which was probably my fault. But we have a few spirit rallies left before school ends, so hopefully by the time I leave they'll be in good shape."

"You should see her cheer, Steve," Claudia suddenly chipped in, dropping down beside Stevie and pressing herself against her daughter. "She really flies, and it makes her so damn happy. It's why she's so good at it."

Stevie drew her lower lip between her teeth as she processed Claudia's closeness. She loved that Claudia didn't hold back, she really did, but it still scared her that one day it would all disappear.

"Hey, Dad, I brought Mom," Stevie murmured, her cheeks flaming scarlet. "Hope you don't mind."

Claudia hummed for a moment as she stared down the headstone in front of her.

"Jinksy, I'm so sorry," she finally whispered. Stevie kept her gaze directed straight ahead, almost immediately feeling like she was intruding on a private conversation, but at the same time knowing that neither Claudia or Steve would want her to leave.

"I was so selfish," Claudia whimpered. "I was so focused on the fact that you'd left me behind that I couldn't see what was right in front of my face. I was so mad at you."

"Mom," Stevie murmured, her heart pounding, but Claudia was caught up in her own dialogue with her departed beloved.

"I was so mad," she repeated, the squeak in her voice indicating that she was crying. "And I let that anger consume me, and I let it shut me down, and I cut myself off from the most beautiful gift anyone could ever give me. I'm stupid, Steve, and you would have told me that. I would have told you where to stick that, we both know that, but after that I would have come back to you and I would have listened, because you were my friend. You were my friend, Steve, my very best friend in the whole world, and I needed you more than I think you ever really understood."

Claudia paused to wipe at the tears on her cheeks with her gloved hand, and Stevie took the opportunity to tuck an arm around her mother's shoulders.

"I should have been stronger," Claudia whispered. "But I missed you, Steve. I still miss you."

"I miss you too," Stevie murmured, sniffling slightly. Claudia finally pulled her gaze away from Steve's headstone and touched her nose to Stevie's cheek.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive Artie for making us forget you," Claudia said to her daughter. "The fact that Steve knew you, and loved you, and then had that all taken away…"

"Part of me thinks that maybe he did remember," Stevie murmured hesitantly. Claudia inhaled sharply as she pulled her face back. Stevie offered a shy smile.

"Maybe not remember me, exactly," she clarified, "but I just wonder if maybe there was some sort of faded memory, some kind of imprint, that meant he knew that even if he died, that you wouldn't be alone."

Claudia's face twitched, like she was trying to decide between laughing and crying. Sniffling softly, she glanced back over at Steve's gravestone.

"I love you, Stevie Faith," she murmured gently, "and I wouldn't give you up for the world, but if there was any way that I could have kept him here with us…"

"If Daddy could see us now," Stevie whispered back, "you know that he'd be proud of us, right?"

Claudia nodded vehemently in reply, and Stevie coughed out a laugh as she reached out a hand and wiped at her mother's wet cheeks.

"It's freezing," she commented with a crooked smile. "What do you say we go find a bar and drink tequila until we fall off our chairs?"

Claudia snorted as she pushed herself to her feet.

"As your mother, I have to say that that is a very bad idea," she said, holding out her hands to help Stevie stand up, "but as your friend, I say, I think I saw a bar at the end of the street with the lights on."

Stevie smirked as she stuffed her gloved hands in her pockets and swayed back and forth awkwardly, a blush colouring her cheeks. Twitching her nose in reply, Claudia huffed out one last sigh as she cast one final look at Steve's grave, and then she turned and trudged her way through the snow drifts. Before Stevie followed after her, she stooped down one more time and placed a hand on the Jinks headstone.

"Keep looking after us, ok?" she requested softly. "We're trying so hard. We just miss you, that's all."

As Stevie straightened up, dusting snow from the seat of her pants, a soft wind swept through the graveyard, rustling Stevie's hair and caressing her cheek. Despite the briskness of the temperature, Stevie felt a warmth bloom in her chest, and she smiled to herself as she turned and made her way towards the cemetery entrance. Claudia stood waiting for her, arms crossed over her chest, but as Stevie came closer, Claudia reached out a hand to beckon to her daughter. The simple gesture made Stevie's heart soar, and she realised that she was finally starting to let hope in.

"Let's go!" Claudia hustled with a grin. "I can't feel my face!"

Smiling in amusement, Stevie bypassed her mother's outstretched hand and instead moved in to wrap her in a hug. Claudia let out a surprised squeak, but she barely hesitated before she returned the gesture.

"Merry Christmas, Mom," Stevie whispered. "From me, and from Steve. I… I love you."

Claudia pulled out of the embrace, her genuine heartfelt smile a mile wide and her eyes shining.

"And those three words are just about the best Christmas present that I could ever ask for," Claudia told her daughter, reaching up to cup Stevie's face with her hand. Stevie bit her lip as she blushed.

"Sorry it took me so long," she murmured. She could still feel her heart racing even as Claudia's smile transitioned to a fond smirk.

"I'm still freezing, kid," she drawled. "Are we going to get drunk or what?"

Snorting as she rolled her eyes, Stevie lifted her hand to take the one that Claudia was resting on her cheek, and laughing softly, she turned them in the direction of the bar they'd seen on their way in. Much to Stevie's delight, Claudia started chattering about nights she'd spent drinking Steve under the table at the Univille bar. They still had a ways to go, but it was clear that both mother and daughter were sure that no matter where they were, or what they faced, Steve would always be with them, every step of the way.


	30. Chapter 30

It was hard for Stevie to believe that it had been a year since she had made what she thought had been an impossible wish. It was also hard for her to believe that after everything that had happened because of that wish, she was standing in that same Warehouse aisle with the copper kettle in her hands yet again.

"Remind me why we're doing this again," Stevie said to Miles as she balanced the kettle in her purple-gloved hands. "Like, do I actually need to remind you what happened the last time we touched this thing?"

Miles gave her one of his trademark impish grins.

"To be fair, what happened last time was after you touched it," he pointed out, laughing and dodging out of the way as Stevie swung a kick in his direction.

"Why do you even want to make another wish?" Stevie whined, scowling at her boyfriend as he shook out his own hands. "Don't you have everything you ever wanted right here in front of you?"

"Eh, well, I guess," he drawled, laughing again as Stevie growled at him.

"Can I even use a birthday veto on this?" she asked, and Miles shook his head as he glanced at the small cage at his feet.

"Bee has seriously been laying the guilts on me for the last year about the fact that I promised her a pet and then never delivered," he smiled. "And that's kind of your fault, with your reckless wishes and all that."

"Oh, well, excuse me," Stevie sassed, stepping towards Miles and holding the kettle out impatiently. "Sometimes I think you need reminding that without my daddy's influence, there's a good chance I wouldn't even be with you right now."

"Baby, you do remind me of that, all the time," Miles quipped, the dimple in his chin deepening for a moment as he pouted his lips flirtatiously. Stevie huffed out a breath, hoping that Miles knew her well enough to understand that her banter was masking the bundle of nerves that danced in her chest.

"If you make a time travel wish, Lattimer, I swear to God," she warned with a slight waver in her voice. Miles nodded softly, his sweet chocolate eyes full of reassurance.

"I got it covered," he whispered. Her hands trembling slightly, Stevie let go of the kettle just as Miles took hold of the handle and squeezed his eyes shut. Stevie let out a strangled shriek of surprise when a moment later, the kettle shook in Miles's hands, and suddenly a ferret appeared, twitching its little nose and whiskers as it investigated the world it had magically appeared in. Miles let out a crow of victory as he opened his eyes, and quickly handed the kettle back to Stevie as he made a grab for the cage at his feet. Together the couple quickly rehomed Bridget's new ferret and returned the copper kettle to the shelf where it belonged. Miles picked up the ferret cage and wiggled a finger through the bars, and then glanced towards Stevie, his mouth tilted in that familiar half-smile.

"You didn't really think that I'd make a wish that would put any of us in jeopardy, did you?" he asked, and Stevie kicked at the floor with her sneakered toe as she screwed up her face.

"Come on, Miles, it's not like when I made my wish last year that I actually wanted to disappear," she murmured. "And… I don't want something like that to ever happen again, you know? I'm happy here. I love my life, just the way it is." She paused to lift her hand to stroke the light stubble on Miles's cheek.

"I love you."

His cheeks colouring under her touch, Miles shifted his face slightly so that he could kiss Stevie's open palm.

"I love you too, pretty girl," he told her gently. "You know that you're the most important thing in the world to me, so I think deep down you know that I already had an impossible wish in mind when we came here."

Stevie made a small grunting sound as she glanced around the aisle.

"So, what did you wish for then?" she asked raspily as she twitched her nose at her boyfriend, who was already chuckling at what he clearly thought was his own awesomeness.

"I wished that my dad would start following the Steelers," he snickered, and Stevie blinked at him for a moment before letting out a snort of amusement.

"That's the best guaranteed ferret I could possibly think of," she laughed, beaming at her boyfriend as she leaned in to kiss him. Miles sighed heavily as Stevie's lips met his.

"Stevie Faith, I would love nothing more than to make out with you right here and now, but if we don't get moving, there's a good chance my mother will actually kill me," Miles quipped. "If I'm the reason you miss your own birthday party…"

"It's only coincidentally my birthday party," Stevie whispered coyly, shimmying forward again, but she then had to let out a petulant little whine as Miles took her hand with his free one and began to lead her back through the Warehouse aisles towards the office. As they walked, Stevie leaned her head against Miles's shoulder, and then she crinkled her brow as a thought crossed her mind.

"You know, you never told me what you wished for the first time we did this, back on your eighteenth birthday," she said, screwing up her face as Miles made a mewling sound. "Spill it, Lattimer. I think I deserve to know, after all of this time."

Miles released an exhausted groan as he swung Stevie's arm back and forth.

"Fine," he finally sighed in exasperation. "If you must know, you unrelenting, bossy, beautiful woman, back then, I wished for you."

Letting out an indignant squawk, Stevie stopped short, letting go of Miles's hand as she directed her crystal-eyed glare directly at him.

"Excuse me, but shouldn't that bother you, considering that we're, you know, this?" Stevie yelped, gesturing between herself and her best friend. Miles raised an eyebrow at her as he smirked.

"Honestly, not really," he said casually. Stevie bared her teeth at him.

"This whole nonchalant act is really starting to grate on my nerves, Miles," she growled, and Miles chuckled as he pulled her back towards him.

"Of course I thought about it," he murmured softly. "It kept me awake for weeks. I have loved you for my entire life, and then suddenly you loved me back, and I had everything I ever wanted right in my hands. I was terrified thinking that it could all slip away, but then I really thought about my wish, and I realised that I didn't have to worry about it at all."

"That's not quite enough information, Miles," Stevie said, narrowing her eyes impatiently.

"I made my wish too specific," Miles clarified for her, his grin starting to waver as his cheeks took on a pink hue again. "We were getting ready to graduate from high school, and you were being really indecisive about where you wanted to go to college, and for the first time, Stevie, it really felt like I might lose you, so I guess I panicked. I wished for you to be my girlfriend, but I wished for it to happen by the time we went away to college, and obviously we know now that that couldn't happen, because you needed to find what you were looking for first."

Stevie knew that her whole facial expression had softened.

"Now I really, really want to make out with you," she rasped seductively, winding her arms around Miles's neck. "You are the most wonderful man in the world."

"And you are so, so hard to say no to," Miles rumbled back, nipping at Stevie's lower lip before pushing forward into a deeper kiss that Stevie made absolutely no attempt to slow.

"Good to see you two are keeping out of trouble."

The sarcastic drawl from the end of the aisle was familiar and contained more than a hint of amusement, but all the same, Stevie had the right of mind to look guilty as she edged away from Miles and looked towards the source of the voice. Claudia was smirking at them, twisting a lock of her auburn hair around her finger as she tapped a boot-clad toe against the floor.

"Hey, Mom," Stevie offered sheepishly, snickering as Miles made an awkward throat-clearing sound beside her.

"You know, as Caretaker, I should be really mad about the fact that you guys seem to think that the rules don't apply to you," Claudia quipped, nodding towards the ferret cage in Miles's hand. "And as a mom who almost lost her daughter to the artifact you've clearly been playing with…"

"Claudia, I, uh, I can explain," Miles stuttered, and Claudia stared him down for a moment before snorting and breaking into an entertained grin.

"Dude, I'm totally messing with you," she chuckled. Stevie couldn't contain her own laughter as Miles's face slackened and he slowly exhaled a shaky breath. While Stevie's relationship with her mother had grown in leaps and bounds since their winter venture to Jersey, Miles still danced around Claudia like he wasn't quite sure where he stood with her, despite constant reassurance from Stevie that Claudia thought the world of the boy that had looked after her daughter so loyally for so many years.

"Your own mom, on the other hand, is definitely going to have something to say about the matter," Claudia continued. Miles grumbled under his breath as he rolled his eyes.

"Of course she will," he muttered, dragging his free hand through his hair. "I guess that I should get back to the B&B, let Ma do her worst."

"Leave the girl behind," Claudia smiled teasingly, nodding towards Stevie. "I'll bring her back in time for the party."

This time it was Stevie's turn to stutter, and she glanced somewhat nervously between her mother and her boyfriend. Miles shrugged at Stevie, pulling a face that told her he wasn't prepared to argue the point.

"Mom, I don't think…" Stevie started, but Claudia cut her off with the simple raise of a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"You're seriously gonna challenge me in my own Warehouse?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Beside Stevie, Miles stifled a snort of his own and then leaned over to kiss his girlfriend on the cheek.

"That's my cue to scoot," he quipped, already halfway down the aisle before Stevie had the chance to let out a squeak of abandonment. Claudia grinned in amusement as Miles gave her a wide berth before he disappeared from view. She was still smirking as Stevie wandered towards her mother, folding her arms across her chest as she eyed Claudia off warily.

"What'd I do?" Stevie asked, one eyebrow cocked in suspicion. Claudia let out a laugh as she opened up her arms.

"I just missed my baby girl," she crooned, and Stevie huffed out a sigh of relief as she folded herself into her mother's embrace.

"Mom, you saw me at graduation," she pointed out, and Claudia sniffed as she gave her daughter another squeeze.

"That was months ago!" she snarked, finally letting Stevie go. "I hate your stupid graduation road-trip and that it kept you from coming home to me."

"Miles and I had the trip planned for years," Stevie told her, but Claudia still curled her lip in disgust.

"And then instead of coming straight back to the B&B, you come to the Warehouse," she muttered. "What are you doing to me, kid?"

"Hey, this Warehouse detour was all Miles!" Stevie exclaimed, looping an arm through her mother's as they started to wander their way back towards the Warehouse office. "I was asleep until we pulled up here. I was ambushed."

"Well, whatever," Claudia harrumphed. "I guess I'll just have to settle for being happy that you're back now, and that I get to have just a little bit of Mom time before the entire Lattimer family take you away from me."

"They're your family too," Stevie sing-songed, nudging her mother lightly. "The girls have been saying some lovely things about you, Mom, and I'm not gonna lie, that's made me really happy."

"Yeah, Pete and Myka raised some pretty awesome kids," Claudia murmured, her cheeks flushing with the compliment. "My kid included."

Stevie rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she climbed the stairs to the Warehouse office ahead of her mother, even though she was pretty confident that she would never quite lose the thrill of Claudia claiming her as her own child. Settling into one of the lawn chairs that had been on the mezzanine as long as Stevie could remember, Stevie watched as her mom followed suit and then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She grinned excitedly.

"Do I see presents?"

"Your eyes do not deceive you, child," Claudia intoned dramatically, sliding two small gifts wrapped in torn out magazine pages across the small table that was between them. "Happy birthday, Stevie Faith. Hopefully after all this time I finally got it right."

Biting her lip, Stevie reached for the smaller of the packages and picked at the tape for a moment before ripping the paper away to find the black and silver guitar pick she'd brought back from the past, converted into a pendant and attached to fine silver chain.

"I know you like the necklace I gave you last year," Claudia said with a soft smile, nodding towards the batwing pendant that Stevie hardly ever took off, "but I just thought maybe, if you wanted, you could change it up every once in a while."

Stevie smiled, twirling the guitar pick pendant between them before lowering it to the table and reaching for the second gift. The paper came away easily, revealing a pretty black and white photo frame that housed the well-worn Polaroid of Steve and Stevie. Claudia cleared her throat as she sniffed and studiously avoided eye contact with her daughter.

"We've been manhandling that poor picture for the last year," she rasped, tapping a finger against the table. "I digitized it, and made some copies, but that's the original. Thank you for letting me have it for as long as you did, but it's yours, sweet girl. I meant it then, and I mean it now."

"I love it, Mom," Stevie murmured warmly, giving Claudia a grateful smile. "You did good, though, if you think about it, you pretty much just gave me presents you've already given me once before. Is that cheating, or…"

"Ha ha, you're a regular comedian," Claudia groused, but there was a happy twinkle in her eyes at Stevie's praise. Toying with the guitar pick necklace absently, Stevie casually draped a hand over her stomach and shifted slightly in her seat as she stared out into the expanse of the Warehouse.

"So, have we been here long enough?" she asked casually, chuffing out a small laugh as Claudia sat up a little straighter beside her.

"I mean, that was your job, right?" Stevie continued, her grin growing as Claudia's facial expression slowly became one of defeat. "Play the distraction so that Miles could go to the B&B and get Myka's ring? He's going to propose tonight, isn't he?"

"Stevie Faith, sometimes you're too perceptive for your own good," Claudia groaned, wrinkling her nose as Stevie smirked back at her. "You'll at least pretend to be surprised, right? He's very excited about this. They all are."

"Pretty sure I'll cry whether I know about it or not," Stevie smiled, her cheeks warming as she thought about how happy she was with Miles. "I really love him. It's funny how fate works. Being with Miles, our family, you, me… I wouldn't have even thought to wish for something like this, and yet, here we are."

"So tell me, did you wish for that?" Claudia asked gently, nodding to where Stevie's hand still rested over her abdomen. Stevie's eyes flicked down for a moment, and she knew that her cheeks had grown as red as they could possibly get.

"Now who's perceptive?" she murmured sheepishly, and this time, it was Claudia's turn to chuckle even as she reached up to run her fingers through her already perfectly tousled hair.

"Are you mad?" Stevie asked, drawing her lower lip between her teeth in concern. "I know that we're young, and a baby puts a great big twist on what we had planned for the future, but we…"

"Stevie, sweet girl, I'm not worried about you, or that baby, or your future," Claudia interjected before Stevie had the chance to start rambling. "I wasn't much older than you when I got pregnant, and I clearly had no idea what I was doing. I wasn't ready, which I think you'll be the first one to vouch for, but despite it all, you grew up to be this amazing young woman, and that was because of the support network I had. You and Miles are going to have all of the same people right there beside you. Believe me when I say that I'm not worried about you."

Stevie shook her head at her mother.

"Our support network is going to be better than anything you ever had, Mom," she stated softly. "It's going to be better, because this time, you're in it."

"Poor kid doesn't stand a chance," Claudia drawled, lazily kicking out a booted foot as she stared out into the expanse of the Warehouse. Recognising her mother's joking sarcasm, Stevie smiled to herself and settled back into her chair, happy and comfortable right where she was.

"Stevie?"

At the sound of Claudia's soft question, Stevie turned her head to the side and found Claudia studying her with those big soulful eyes. As much as Stevie liked the colour of her own eyes and where it had come from, she hoped in that moment that her unborn child inherited the deep velvet chocolate hue of its maternal grandmother.

"What's up, Mom?"

"If there were no consequences, if you could have one wish, right now, and have it come true, what would it be?" Claudia asked, her expression hesitant, like she wasn't quite sure she wanted to hear the answer. Stevie blinked at her for a moment, and then she smiled.

"I don't need to make a wish, Mom," she stated, keeping one hand over her stomach, and sliding the other across the table between them so that she could take Claudia's hand. "What I have right now, it's more than I could ever think to wish for. I have everything I could ever want."

"But your dad," Claudia murmured, tears brimming in her eyes. Stevie cut her off with a small squeeze of the hand and a curt shake of her head.

"If Daddy was here, things would be different, and I think we both know that it wouldn't necessarily be for the better," Stevie said, sighing even as she glanced again at the photograph that was both years old and a recent memory all at the same time. "Do the words 'he was mine first' ring any bells with you?"

Claudia let out a small cough and then pressed her lips together as she gave Stevie a look that was ultimately a plea for forgiveness.

"Steve loved me for as long as he was able to, Mom, and his love for you defied all time and logic," Stevie stated as she gave Claudia's hand a gentle squeeze. "It took me a while to realise it, and even longer to accept it, but we both had him for as long as we needed him, and even if we didn't know it at the time, he gave us everything we needed so that you and I could get to where we are right now."

"After everything you've been through, how did you turn out so perfect?" Claudia asked, her mouth twitching into a half-grin that still displayed sadness at the absence of her best friend from their lives. Stevie huffed out a laugh as she rose from her seat and wandered over to the mezzanine railing, but rather than look out over the Warehouse, she turned and faced her mother, who was watching her closely.

"Wishes are for the Warehouse, and for fairy tales, and for wildest dreams, but it's when we wake up from those dreams and take a look around that we realise that what we have is what we should focus on," Stevie said, leaning against the railing and tilting her head back for just a moment. "We make mistakes, and we fall in love, and we fight and we stumble and cry, but all of that helps us get to where we're supposed to be."

Her chair creaking as she rose to her feet, Claudia stepped lightly to where her daughter stood and rested her elbows on the mezzanine railing, wrinkling her nose in her beautiful, familiar way as she smiled coyly at Stevie.

"If wishes are for the Warehouse, I think I'm gonna make one while we're still standing here," Claudia murmured roughly, and Stevie rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Go on then."

"I wish for a happy and healthy grandchild," Claudia stated emphatically. "I wish for my daughter to have the beautiful wedding that she deserves. I wish that Pete and Myka will one day understand how grateful I am for everything they have done for me and my child. I wish that these boots didn't pinch my toes as much as they do. And I wish, more than anything else, that my baby girl will always know just how much I love her."

"That was kind of more than one wish, you know," Stevie drawled, giving Claudia's shoulder a gentle touch even as Claudia chuckled to herself. "And just for the record, your baby girl knows just how much you love her."

"Warehouse 13, where wishes can come true," Claudia quipped with a wry grin, standing slightly on her toes to give Stevie a kiss on the side of her face. Before she had the chance to pull away, Stevie lifted a hand and cupped Claudia's cheek.

"Mom," she murmured. "You didn't wish for Steve."

There was a moment of silence between them, and then Claudia's face softened.

"Wouldn't you know it," she whispered, "but I think I'm starting to realise that I don't have to anymore."

There were no words for how Stevie felt in that moment. It was like her heart swelled with overwhelming love, butterflies danced in her stomach, and her whole body tingled with both joy and hope, and it was all because she could tell that there was no lie, not even a slight untruth, to win her daughter over. Claudia was genuine, and it was all Stevie could hope for.

"Looking at that goofy grin makes it feel like Steve's right here anyway," Claudia said with a smile of her own, and Stevie laughed as she pushed off the railing and headed back for the table, where she collected her birthday presents before looking back at her mother.

"On that note, now I think we've definitely given Miles enough time to set up whatever elaborate proposal he's got planned," Stevie drawled, nodding towards the office door. "Come on, Mom, let's go home."

Claudia nodded in reply, still smiling to herself as she ducked ahead of Stevie and made for the door. Watching her disappear, and then chuckling under her breath when an apparent comment from Wade caused Claudia to let out a laugh that echoed back out of the office, Stevie took one more moment to look out over the sprawl of Warehouse 13, where soft lights blinked and the smell of history both new and old wafted like a cool breeze. There was a tinge of the scent of apples in the air, and Stevie cocked an eyebrow as she cast a bemused glance towards the ceiling joints of the structure. After all that she'd been through, and everything that had come after it, Stevie realised that when it came to her relationship with the Warehouse, the hate aspect had finally put itself to bed, leaving nothing but love behind.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you made a wish too, you crafty old thing," Stevie murmured, smirking as a small creak echoed through the Warehouse as if in reply, a wise old creation reminding the Warehouse family just exactly who was in charge. Stevie put her free hand on her stomach again, happiness that she didn't even want to contain radiating through her. She'd never dreamed to dream of being so content. It had taken a wish to meet her father, and to learn exactly how to open her heart to the love she deserved, but what she'd gained both physically and mentally really was more than she could have hoped to find. Stevie Faith Donovan-Jinks had taken her trip to the past, and there were memories there that she would never let go of, but it was the future, her future, that she could happily say that she was very much looking forward to, and she did it with a full heart and a peace of mind she'd never expected to have as long as she lived.


End file.
